as in betting
to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event
a foolish man who gambled his life savings on the lottery
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gambling
From assault allegations to gambling debts to submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccine card leading to a 21-game suspension, Kane has been the center of many controversies.
—
Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
Calls about online wagering have more than doubled to Florida’s problem gambling helpline since the legalization of sports betting in Florida in 2023.
—Ashley Borja, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
Olympic curling has turned into a betting magnet First, intense player drama and now gambling?
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 19 Feb. 2026
The global competition to dominate artificial intelligence has reached a fever pitch, but one of the world’s leading computer scientists warned that Big Tech is recklessly gambling with the future of the human species.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gambling
Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
Calls about online wagering have more than doubled to Florida’s problem gambling helpline since the legalization of sports betting in Florida in 2023.
—Ashley Borja, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
Olympic curling has turned into a betting magnet First, intense player drama and now gambling?
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 19 Feb. 2026
The global competition to dominate artificial intelligence has reached a fever pitch, but one of the world’s leading computer scientists warned that Big Tech is recklessly gambling with the future of the human species.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gambling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambling
Verb
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Inflation fears have led traders to scale back expectations for the Federal Reserve’s next quarter-point rate cut to September, with some bond options traders betting the Fed may not cut rates at all this year.—
Marcus Wong,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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The last year has seen several high-profile athletes and coaches charged by the Justice Department in sports betting and related gambling schemes.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Comer previously told the finance committee that Gary receives about $12 million from wagering taxes, which the city will use to pay for the convention center.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
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That advantage is the amount of money that goes to the host track from advance deposit wagering (ADW) and computer assisted wagering (CAW).—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Proponents of prediction markets argue that putting financial stakes on outcomes leads to better forecasts than traditional methods.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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But putting together a basketball team only requires a few players.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambling. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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