stakes 1 of 2

noun

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

Relevance
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
1
as in funds
to provide money for the actor staked the entire production of the film with his own money

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in puts
to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event I'd stake a year's salary that she'll win the general election

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
These feel like ‘table stakes’ for AI in text editing, yet Apple has been deliberate in introducing Apple Intelligence across its platforms. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Some members and associates of the Seidler family are expected to retain at least a portion of their stakes in the Padres. — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 22 July 2026 Nvidia has been building up stakes in some of the world's most promising AI companies in recent years. — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 21 July 2026 This iconic live-action movie features NBA superstar Michael Jordan, who is recruited by Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes, the Tune Squad, for a high-stakes game against an evil theme park owner and his minions, the Monstars, in outer space. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 14 July 2026 Despite the high stakes, there’s been no spark or cohesiveness in France’s attack, which has oddly looked devoid of ideas and inspiration. — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 At a time when few women held sway in Tinseltown, Wood insisted on choosing her own roles, demanding equal pay to her male costars, and negotiating ownership stakes in her films. — Michelle Duncan, Architectural Digest, 14 July 2026 Sure, some small NFL stakes have sold at higher valuations, but those are in a different category. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026 The plan had faced criticism on multiple fronts — and cast UC in the national spotlight over the use of high-stakes standardized testing in college admissions. — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
Verb
Kent Nishimura | Reuters The Senate stakes McConnell, a former longtime Senate majority leader, declined to seek an eighth term following a series of health scares. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 8 July 2026 Dar Zéro founder Brigid Smith stakes her claim on bohemian style, blending gritty luxury with elevated, global influences. — Rebecca Suhrawardi, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 The Arab Republic of Egypt (1953) stakes a natural claim to the Rosetta Stone, which was commissioned in 196 BCE by a Greek-speaking pharaoh of Macedonian descent, and unearthed near Alexandria by French engineers in 1799. — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 Ocean Casino Resort stakes its claim directly on the Atlantic City Boardwalk with views of a ferris wheel and lighthouse as though to remind you of the city’s modest beachtown origins. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026 November stakes In Lake County, the positions of Clerk, Treasurer, and Sheriff — currently held by Anthony Vega, Holly Kim and John Idleburg, respectively — are all coming up for election, as well as county board positions for Districts 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 19. — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026 Small towns may have the majority of oceanfront real estate, but Pensacola stakes its claim with more than 50 miles of white-sand shoreline. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026 That is, until Vlad arrives and stakes a claim on her every waking thought. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026 The majority stakes the largest detention initiative in American history on the possibility that … Congress must have wanted these noncitizens detained—some of them the spouses, mothers, fathers, and grandparents of American citizens. — Ben Fenwick, Oklahoma Watch, 12 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stakes
  1. interests
  2. bets
  3. funds
  4. puts
  5. shares
  6. wagers
  7. finances
Noun
  • On the other hand, if a teenager is struggling and isn’t involved in any activities, encourage them to explore their interests as a way of making those initial connections.
    — Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • States set policy guardrails States are increasingly stepping in to set limits on HOA authority when private rules conflict with broader public interests related to renewable energy, wildlife conservation and water-saving landscaping.
    — Daniel Kramer, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of interests
Noun
  • Getty Images The MLB best home run bets have been in one of the longest droughts of the year, with eight straight whiffs on home run props.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Situational Awareness, the hedge fund led by Leopold Aschenbrenner, was forced to sell billions of dollars of tech shares to meet margin calls after those bets rapidly lost value.
    — Ryan Vlastelica, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of bets
Verb
  • The money funds European retail expansion and a herbal range.
    — Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • The demonstration was supported by UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), which funds emerging technologies with potential military applications.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 July 2026
Definition of funds
Verb
  • Advocates and city councilors said at an April Council hearing that the Wu administration’s inaction has cost the city millions in federal grant funding and puts cyclists and pedestrians at risk.
    — Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 22 July 2026
  • That puts additional weight on the value of the face-to-face interview — one of the last remaining stages of the hiring process that can’t be automated.
    — Cami Fateh, Vogue, 22 July 2026
Definition of puts
Noun
  • Analyst Kendall Toscano said in a recent note that Ralph Lauren shares are too attractive to ignore at current prices.
    — Michael Bloom, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of a broker or a third party wrapping someone else's shares in an offshore vehicle, the company issues its own instrument on chain, inside its own jurisdiction, as a regulated security.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of shares
Noun
  • Fortunately, home run bets are long-shot wagers, so bettors don’t need to get many correct to generate a profit.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In the lawsuit, New York Attorney General Letitia James accuses Kalshi of violating state laws by accepting wagers without a license from the state’s gaming commission, as reported earlier by CNBC.
    — Emma Roth, The Verge, 31 July 2026
Definition of wagers
Verb
  • Their model included where the city’s water comes from, how the local utility finances new infrastructure and sets rates and how rising rates might change how households use water.
    — Emma Court, Fortune, 8 July 2026
  • Read on for your June career and finances horoscope according to your zodiac sign.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Definition of finances

Phrases Containing stakes

Browse Nearby Words

staked
stakes
staking
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stakes. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on stakes

Nglish: Translation of stakes for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of élan

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All