gambles 1 of 2

Definition of gamblesnext
plural of gamble
as in ventures
a risky undertaking it's a gamble, but I'm willing to take the risk

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gambles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of gamble
as in bets
to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event a foolish man who gambled his life savings on the lottery

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gambles
Noun
No fiction writer could dream up a character with so many high-stakes gambles that usually paid off, whose life took so many turns and who was present at so many key late-20th-century moments in various fields. Tim Gray, Variety, 6 May 2026 Those gambles never lead to moral wins for the nation, or big wins or jackpots for the poor Black communities that most of our most prodigious athletic artists come from. Kiese Laymon, Vanity Fair, 30 Apr. 2026 Of course, all draft choices are gambles. Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026 Cheek initially runs towards the pass but gambles on the ball bouncing over the defender and runs behind him. Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026 Pagliocca has mostly struck out in a series of high-risk, high-reward gambles. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026 She’s seen what the medium is still capable of, with the success of wild gambles like Everything Everywhere. David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 11 Mar. 2026 The Dodgers didn’t take any one-year gambles to address their need in the outfield this winter. Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026 Two fourth-down gambles by Cignetti in the fourth quarter, after Fletcher's second touchdown carved the Hurricanes' deficit to three points, put Mendoza in position to shine. Arkansas Online, 20 Jan. 2026
Verb
As Macron heads toward the end of his time in office — his final term ends next year — the Louvre overhaul has become his signature cultural project — his version of the big museum-and-monument gambles French presidents are often remembered for. ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambles
Noun
  • Companies and scientific ventures voluntarily comply with biosecurity guidelines and submit environmental impact assessments for Antarctic operations.
    Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
  • As Team Maryland’s revenue and expenses doubled from 2018 to 2024, the share of that money that flowed directly to Blackstreet’s and the Weisses’ for-profit ventures ballooned, tax returns analyzed by USA TODAY show.
    Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • The prediction market’s CEO, Tarek Mansour, told CNBC that bets on Bad Bunny’s first song alone exceeded $100 million in volume.
    Josephine Rozzelle, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
  • If a new account opens and immediately bets on a single player micro-market, that’s suspicious.
    Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Spurs need points and Richarlison is the No 9 who will likely be on the end of most of their chances.
    Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 7 May 2026
  • That does increase the chances of an injury, something the Bulldogs had to deal with yet again this spring.
    Connor Riley, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • And that last item often puts us closer to those teenage feelings than heartbreak ever can.
    Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
  • The latest poll puts Bianco in third place at 14%, followed by Tom Steyer, the billionaire hedge fund founder and environmental advocate, at 12%.
    Claire Wang, Oc Register, 4 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Gambles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambles. Accessed 10 May. 2026.

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