chance 1 of 3

noun

ˈchan(t)s How to pronounce chance (audio)
Definition of chancenext
1
as in luck
the uncertain course of events rather than leave everything to chance, let's plan how we're going to spend our time in New York City

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opportunity
a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place this is my one chance to succeed

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3
as in probability
a measure of how often an event will occur instead of another the chance of being struck by lightning is very low

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4
as in venture
a risky undertaking it's a chance, but I think the business will be profitable

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chance

2 of 3

adjective

as in accidental
happening by chance a chance advantage that I immediately recognized and made full use of

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chance

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to risk
to take a chance on I don't think we should chance driving in this snowstorm

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2
as in to happen
to take place there chanced to be a beautiful day when we were touring that part of Scotland

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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 chance
Noun
The rift greatly complicated any chance Washington may have had of lining up the region’s heavyweights behind its campaign to defeat Iran. — Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 Luckily, the fall-winter 2026 fashion trends offer us a chance to put that to the test. — Renata Joffre, Glamour, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
Rain chances drop on Sunday as the deep moisture shifts north-northwest. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026 Storm chances increase from about 30% in the morning up to about 70% by the evening. — Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for chance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chance
  1. luck
  2. opportunity
  3. probability
  4. venture
  5. accidental
  6. risk
  7. happen
  8. circumstance
Noun
  • Lan Larison had some hard luck with the rushing lanes he was given, but otherwise gave the offense no juice.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The Green Lantern, a secondary figure in the DC Comics pantheon, had the ill luck to be trapped in a 2011 Ryan Reynolds film even its director didn’t like.
    — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of luck
Noun
  • But as the drugs move from a specialist injectable treatment toward an increasingly mainstream weight-management category, beauty is beginning to confront a much bigger commercial opportunity, which — according to insiders — is much more complex.
    — Perdita Nouril, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The Ria Formosa Natural Park is close by and offers plenty of opportunities for birdwatching and trails to walk around its lagoons.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of opportunity
Noun
  • The defendants also argue that Banks cannot show a probability of prevailing on her state law claims.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The probability of selecting 18 lawyers and none who are Jewish is a chance of roughly 1 in 9,840.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of probability
Noun
  • Because growing the rice itself is not profitable, even with historic high prices for Japanese rice, the company supports the agricultural costs through side ventures including a restaurant and an ice cream brand launched this summer.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • However, Greenland Energy has access as its venture partner 80 Mile inherited a license via its subsidiary White Flame Energy, which acquired the exploration rights to Jameson Land prior to the cut-off date.
    — Tiago Ventura, Time, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of venture
Adjective
  • Some lawsuits have been filed by families of children and young adults who died by suicide after problematic use of social media, and families whose kids died from accidental overdoses from drug purchases facilitated by social platforms.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Now the accidental entrepreneur, Elizabeth Stein, is making the biggest sale of her life.
    — Chloe Sorvino, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of accidental
Verb
  • Shipping traffic remains severely restricted, demonstrating that many shipowners are not willing to risk a possible Iranian attack and underscoring Tehran’s ongoing leverage over Hormuz.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Mohammed Zahidullah, chief sustainability officer at DBL Group, warned that Bangladesh risks losing orders to competitors including India, Pakistan and Vietnam as those sourcing markets move more quickly to adopt renewable energy.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of risk
Verb
  • Confession, but questions remain Precisely what happened after Berezovska, Reut and Zhykovych met by the highway is unclear — each of the two men have given their own version of the story.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The tinted windows looked out onto the courts where Richardson trained some of the best young female players in the Rio Grande Valley, but the glass was one-way, and from outside, nothing that happened in the room was visible.
    — Molly Hensley-Clancy, Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of happen
Noun
  • Police said Brown is from Alabama and has an outstanding failure-to-appear warrant connected to a case there involving similar circumstances about five years ago.
    — CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Reiner has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder with special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and lying in wait.
    — Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of circumstance

Phrases Containing chance

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champs
chance
chanced
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Cite this Entry

“Chance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chance. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on chance

Nglish: Translation of chance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chance

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