bets 1 of 2

noun

plural of bet
1
as in stakes
the money or thing risked on the outcome of an uncertain event she offered the bet of a free lunch if her team won the World Series

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in choices
a person or thing that is chosen your best bet would be the scenic route along the coast

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bets

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bet
as in wagers
to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event foolishly bet a week's salary on the World Series

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 bets
Noun
The cold streak for the MLB best home run bets came to a merciful end on Saturday. — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Throughout his career, Ackman has built a reputation for taking unconventional positions and backing them with conviction—whether making bold investment bets or weighing in on contentious public debates. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026 It is not known how many trading desks are currently profitable through bets on affiliated exchanges. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Kalshi claims such bets will provide a new source of information about which drugs will get approved, and what clinical trials will show promising results, which the company says can help investors decide what new drugs to fund. — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026 Making bets around sports and live programming was very, very critical to our strategy from Day One. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 Following the jobs report, traders shifted their bets on when the Fed might hike. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026 Henry Ford hedged his bets by entering two of his Model Ts in the race. — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2026 Kalshi then reportedly flagged his bets to the government, prompting CFTC’s investigation. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
But that’s a problem in Bordeaux, a region that bets big on red wines aged in oak. — Kate Dingwall, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 2026 Told ‘no’ at every turn, Sylvester Stallone bets everything on himself, holding the line on playing the lead against seemingly impossible odds. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 15 July 2026 This is all heavy investment that bets hard on South Korea's future as a component powerhouse. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 30 June 2026 An immigrant educator at a struggling East LA high school decides his students can master AP calculus, bets everything on that belief, and turns out to be right. — Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 27 May 2026 The prediction market’s CEO, Tarek Mansour, told CNBC that bets on Bad Bunny’s first song alone exceeded $100 million in volume. — Josephine Rozzelle, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026 If a new account opens and immediately bets on a single player micro-market, that’s suspicious. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2025 Similarly, if an existing account that typically bets $50 on certain games suddenly places a $1,000 bet, that outlier behavior could trigger an investigation. — Dian Zhang, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025 Told no at every turn, Stallone bets everything on himself, holding the line on playing the lead against seemingly impossible odds. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bets
  1. stakes
  2. choices
  3. puts
  4. wagers
  5. favorites
  6. selections
Noun
  • Higher stakes The stakes rise considerably when attackers target operational technology.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But he was forced to apologize after his plans to form a subsidiary to run the tournament, which would have opened the door for investors to buy stakes of up to ​20% in a spinout firm, collapsed after widespread backlash across the sport.
    — Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of stakes
Noun
  • Getting the cast of characters that would push Carol to her breaking point took precision but also allowed for some fun, varied choices.
    — Deadline, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Snack boxes can be filled with a variety of kid-friendly choices, including fruit, applesauce, granola, and sugar free gummies.
    — Sharon Lawson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of choices
Verb
  • Quote of note Veteran center Garrett Bradbury has enjoyed his introduction to Ben Johnson’s offense, a system that puts a lot of responsibility on the guy snapping the ball.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • As Stevie Wonder’s eponymous 1972 hit suggests, there’s something specifically ominous about a 13-month-old baby that puts it in league with the bad juju of falling ladders and broken looking glasses.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of puts
Noun
  • State law now bans proposition betting in sports — wagers on certain events happening in a game, rather than the game’s outcome — which is a significant source of revenue for the leading prediction markets.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of wagers
Noun
  • Keep scrolling to see 12 of our favorites available at Amazon now, all under $40.
    — Natalie LaBarbera, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
  • And while social media may have its preferences, fan favorites may not be the ones with the skills needed to cross over.
    — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of favorites
Noun
  • At night there is also the popular Candles restaurant, with indoor and outdoor dining and a creative steakhouse menu (again with some James Beard chef selections).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Smart’s Georgia teams have produced 84 draft picks and 21 first-round selections over his 10 years leading the program, including 63 draft picks and 15 first-rounders over the past six years with his recruits in place.
    — Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of selections

Browse Nearby Words

betroths
bets
bets (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Bets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bets. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of bets for Spanish Speakers

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