stakes 1 of 2

Definition of stakesnext
plural of stake
1
as in interests
a legal right to participation in the advantages, profits, and responsibility of something if I invest in your business, I expect a stake in it in return

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in bets
the money or thing risked on the outcome of an uncertain event lost his entire stake with a single roll of the dice

Synonyms & Similar Words

stakes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stake

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 stakes
Noun
In the midst of a high-stakes encounter, an officer may not have time to process his thoughts, according to Robinette. Mark Morales, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026 Yet the promise felt realest only in smaller tools with clearer stakes—especially the ones built for people who are blind or have limited vision. Eric Sullivan, Scientific American, 9 Jan. 2026 Nambiar directs from a script by Abhishek Bandekar that speaks to contemporary youth culture, merging the world of digital content creation with primal survival stakes. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026 With a high-stakes battle for the 2026 midterms looming, the Evergreen State appears poised to join the trend of states using congressional redistricting for partisan advantage. Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026 In June 2025, Peacock revealed the latest slate of celebrities set to battle it out in a high-stakes game of lies, alliances and betrayal inside a castle in the Scottish Highlands — all for a chance to win up to $250,000. Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026 Looking through Cavanaugh’s telescope, there are major tests and high-stakes games coming up. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026 The New York firm has taken stakes in more than 50 companies. Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2026 Kira has experienced this trust crisis firsthand, living in countries where information conflict carries high stakes. William Jones, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
Gliding gracefully through the mix of styles and languages — from Mandarin and Arabic to German and her native Spanish — Rosalia further stakes her claim as one of most fascinating voices in music today. Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025 With assists from Jeff Parker, Meg Duffy, and others, the versatile drummer’s latest album stakes its claim at the shifting border between jazz and electronic music. Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 20 Dec. 2025 In terms of food, true to its name, Prime 47 stakes its reputation on prime cuts, including a $147 24-ounce tomahawk ribeye (more frugal diners might opt for the $74 Delmonico ribeye). Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 5 Dec. 2025 Amid a growing demand from both luxury-minded travelers and the intrepid backpackers who first told tales of the country's incomparable beauty, Nicaragua now stakes its claim among its neighbors as a destination worth traveling for. Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 4 Dec. 2025 There’s an indulgent satisfaction to these films, most notably on display in this new trailer when Gellar literally stakes Weaving in the heart (or … the shoulder, most likely), that prevents them for tipping into a haughty self-seriousness. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025 Every great novel stakes an implicit claim about what a novel can and should do. New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025 Ottawa — ‘#WANTITALL’ is an unlikely hashtag for a country that stakes its brand on being humble and nice. Paula Newton, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025 Everything around you stakes an equal claim. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stakes
Noun
  • That critique of American foreign policy – that US high-mindedness and democratic idealism conceal naked corporate interests – persisted through the Cold War and into the 21st Century.
    Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Health care, housing, and education would be built to be affordable, driven by real results from the bottom up--not by party interests trickling down.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • While short-term bets such as Kane and van Riemsdyk can pay dividends to fill specific needs, getting par value out of a longer-term deal is exceedingly rare.
    Max Bultman, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
  • The Buckeyes and Bulldogs remain good bets year in and year out.
    Kevin Sherrington, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • In addition to the fraud committed through the sober houses, Cleggett, through his insulation businesses, received millions of dollars from the Mass Save Program (a public/private partnership that funds energy efficient projects).
    Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
  • The state primarily funds public schools based on average daily attendance.
    Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The driver then puts vehicle in drive, dragging officer about 100 yards with his arm inside the car.
    Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Tonga has missed the past three games, which puts his availability for Sunday’s Wild Card showdown with the Chargers in significant doubt.
    Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • White shares daughter Dream Kardashian, 9, with Rob Kardashian, and son King Cairo Stevenson, 13, with Tyga.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
  • An expert shares must-know precautions.
    Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Maduro bets spark insider training concerns An anonymous user on prediction markets platform Polymarket made more than $400,000 betting that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro would leave office, with the bulk of the wagers placed shortly before the announcement of his capture.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 13 Jan. 2026
  • By then, PointsBet was handling nearly $3 billion a year in wagers across fourteen states.
    Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The tax money supports the district’s operating fund, which finances bus transportation, utility bills, repairs and maintenance.
    Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
  • The federal government primarily finances supplemental food benefits, but the state’s share is determined, in part, by its management, as indicated by its rate of error when determining people’s eligibility.
    Dan Walters, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stakes. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.

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