stakes race

noun

: a horse race in which the prize offered is made up at least in part of money (such as entry fees) put up by the owners of the horses entered

called also stake race

Examples of stakes race in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Plutarch lost his first four starts, including three in stakes races, before winning a maiden race on the final day of Del Mar’s fall meeting. Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026 In the ruins of a dystopian Rio de Janeiro—a city fractured by class conflict and addicted to blood sport—a resistance leader is forced to enter a violent, high-stakes race to save his sister from a fate worse than death. Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026 Unbeknownst to most aboard, the plane was secretly transporting a revolutionary, highly classified technology capable of reshaping global power, and its disappearance sparks a frantic, high-stakes race among the world’s major powers to recover it. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026 There will be seven stakes races over the final three days. Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stakes race

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stakes race was in 1895

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stakes race.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stakes%20race. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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