as in bet
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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Recent Examples of gambled
In what would turn out to be the most pivotal decision of the Lakers’ season, Dončić and Reaves gambled — a bet that would cost Dončić the remainder of the season and playoffs, and Reaves all but the end of the playoffs.
—
Dan Woike, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Even the late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs gambled his own security for success.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 11 May 2026
Washington gambled that losing some to inoculation was better than losing a war to the virus.
—Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 28 Apr. 2026
On Wednesday, Kalshi announced that three politicians running for federal office had gambled on their own elections.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
On Wednesday, Kalshi announced that three politicians running for federal office had gambled on their own elections.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
More than 70% of Connecticut’s undergraduate students have gambled, with 17% reporting it at a moderate level, according to a survey of 1,300 students at 30 higher education institutions across the state conducted by two UConn researchers.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
The Saints gambled by not making a single substitution until the final minute of the game, nearly becoming the first team since 1979 to play its starters all 40 minutes.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
The moves were a complete departure from last year, when the Rams wrongly gambled that a young and aggressive pass rush could offset their decision to not make a single upgrade to the secondary.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Dan Woike, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Even the late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs gambled his own security for success.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 11 May 2026
Washington gambled that losing some to inoculation was better than losing a war to the virus.
—Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 28 Apr. 2026
On Wednesday, Kalshi announced that three politicians running for federal office had gambled on their own elections.
—CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
On Wednesday, Kalshi announced that three politicians running for federal office had gambled on their own elections.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
More than 70% of Connecticut’s undergraduate students have gambled, with 17% reporting it at a moderate level, according to a survey of 1,300 students at 30 higher education institutions across the state conducted by two UConn researchers.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
The Saints gambled by not making a single substitution until the final minute of the game, nearly becoming the first team since 1979 to play its starters all 40 minutes.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
The moves were a complete departure from last year, when the Rams wrongly gambled that a young and aggressive pass rush could offset their decision to not make a single upgrade to the secondary.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gambled
Verb
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The story draws from real-world reports of underground death-betting circles documented in Taiwan.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 May 2026
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Sell the car in Vegas and bet all the money on one spin of the roulette wheel.—
Kristin Shaw,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Her team quickly put together a plan to help coördinate repairs, secure new electrical generators, implement a triage system, and organize trainings for staff.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
The Bengals, who at one point trailed 6-1, put the game on ice with eight runs in the bottom of the sixth.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Other real estate experts, including appraisers cited in the lawsuit, have wagered that the parcel could sell for hundreds of millions of dollars more.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
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The severity of the punishment is based on dollar amounts wagered, whether the athlete bet on their own sport and whether the bet impacted games.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Chris Sanon, the Orlando area’s leader in sacks a year ago, played well in his move to linebacker from edge rusher.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
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He’s only played in four major championships in his career.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gambled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gambled. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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