1
a
: something that is laid, staked, or pledged typically between two parties on the outcome of a contest or a contingent issue : wager
—often used figuratively in such phrases as all bets are off to stress the uncertainty of an outcome
b
: the act of giving such a pledge
2
: something to wager on
3
: a choice made by consideration of probabilities
your best bet is the back road
bet also betted; betting
1
a
: to stake on the outcome of an issue or the performance of a contestant
b
: to be able to be sure that
—usually used in the expression you bet
you bet I'll be there
2
a
: to maintain with or as if with a bet
b
: to make a bet with
c
: to make a bet on
: to lay a bet
between
Synonyms
Examples of bet in a Sentence
Noun
He has a bet on the game.
He made a bet with his brother that he could finish his chores first.
He and his brother have a bet about who can finish his chores first.
He lost the bet and had to pay his brother five dollars.
His brother won the bet.
He paid his brother five dollars to settle the bet.
Verb
He bet $5 on the game.
I'll bet that he makes the next shot.
He always bets that the favorite will win.
He lost a lot of money by betting on college football and basketball.
I bet against the favorite and I lost.
I wouldn't bet against her. She's very likely to win this race.
Carmakers are betting that people will want to buy larger, more expensive cars this year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nick Kasmik, The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024
Your best bet for snagging the highest rate is an online-only personal savings account, which even beat the average rate on a one-year Certificate of Deposit (CD), according to the Banking Landscape report released Thursday by finance site WalletHub.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
But with the extension deadline looming, the Warriors have to place their bet this summer.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
The original game, which was released for PC in 1997, likely isn’t the best bet.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors on Thursday charged Mizuhara with bank fraud, alleging the 39-year-old took advantage of his closeness with Ohtani to feed a spiraling gambling habit, accumulating $40 million in losses across more than 19,000 bets.
—Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Coming after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, pivoting the Turtles IP back to live-action feels like a risky bet on Paramount’s part that’s going to remind everyone how nightmarish the 1990 adaptation was.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2024
Mizuhara was fired last month after Ohtani’s lawyers accused him of stealing from Ohtani and placing bets with a bookmaker who is under federal investigation.
—Cnn Staff, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Those in southeastern Missouri will find historical odds for cloud-free viewing more or less matching the odds in Arkansas, and those in the Chicago metro area should find their best bet is to head toward the southern part of Illinois, according to Albert Ramon, chief meteorologist for CBS Chicago.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2024
Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Apr. 2024
The finishes aren’t the only thing the smartphone maker is betting on.
—Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024
That rally was aided by the rise of bitcoin ETFs: investment vehicles that allow mainstream institutional investors to bet on bitcoin’s price without having to actually buy bitcoin itself.
—Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Wall Street is betting that Netflix‘s stream machine was continuing to fire on all cylinders coming into 2024.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
The sports betting operators and an organization that monitors gambling markets brought the unusual bets to the NBA’s attention, and the sports book froze the $80,000 wager, which would have otherwise paid out to $1.1 million.
—Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 17 Apr. 2024
Some investors, Ritter noted, may simply be more discerning this time around and less willing to bet on growth companies.
—María Soledad Davila Calero, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
More on the betting scandal Shohei Ohtani says his interpreter stole money from his account and 'told lies'
Who is Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara?
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024
If the team notices a client is betting for too long or spending a concerning amount of money, for instance, an employee reaches out to create some friction and assess the harm.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Noun
To cover their bets, the hedge funds that shorted the stocks had to buy them back at a much higher price for losses.
—Nick Kasmik, The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024
Your best bet for snagging the highest rate is an online-only personal savings account, which even beat the average rate on a one-year Certificate of Deposit (CD), according to the Banking Landscape report released Thursday by finance site WalletHub.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
But with the extension deadline looming, the Warriors have to place their bet this summer.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
The original game, which was released for PC in 1997, likely isn’t the best bet.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors on Thursday charged Mizuhara with bank fraud, alleging the 39-year-old took advantage of his closeness with Ohtani to feed a spiraling gambling habit, accumulating $40 million in losses across more than 19,000 bets.
—Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Coming after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, pivoting the Turtles IP back to live-action feels like a risky bet on Paramount’s part that’s going to remind everyone how nightmarish the 1990 adaptation was.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2024
Mizuhara was fired last month after Ohtani’s lawyers accused him of stealing from Ohtani and placing bets with a bookmaker who is under federal investigation.
—Cnn Staff, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Those in southeastern Missouri will find historical odds for cloud-free viewing more or less matching the odds in Arkansas, and those in the Chicago metro area should find their best bet is to head toward the southern part of Illinois, according to Albert Ramon, chief meteorologist for CBS Chicago.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2024
Verb
Holland America—with its industry-first standby fare offerings—is betting yes.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Apr. 2024
The finishes aren’t the only thing the smartphone maker is betting on.
—Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024
That rally was aided by the rise of bitcoin ETFs: investment vehicles that allow mainstream institutional investors to bet on bitcoin’s price without having to actually buy bitcoin itself.
—Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Wall Street is betting that Netflix‘s stream machine was continuing to fire on all cylinders coming into 2024.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
The sports betting operators and an organization that monitors gambling markets brought the unusual bets to the NBA’s attention, and the sports book froze the $80,000 wager, which would have otherwise paid out to $1.1 million.
—Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 17 Apr. 2024
Some investors, Ritter noted, may simply be more discerning this time around and less willing to bet on growth companies.
—María Soledad Davila Calero, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
More on the betting scandal Shohei Ohtani says his interpreter stole money from his account and 'told lies'
Who is Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara?
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024
If the team notices a client is betting for too long or spending a concerning amount of money, for instance, an employee reaches out to create some friction and assess the harm.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bet
Cite this Entry
“Bet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bet. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bet
1 of 2 noun1
: an agreement requiring the person whose guess about the result of a contest or the outcome of an event proves wrong to give something to a person whose guess proves right
2
: the money or thing risked
3
: a choice made by considering what might happen
our best bet is to take the back road
bet
2 of 2 verb
bet also betted; betting
1
: to risk in a bet
I'll bet a nickel
2
: to make a bet with
I bet you he won't
3
: to be certain enough to bet
I bet it will rain
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