chances 1 of 2

plural of chance
1
2
as in opportunities
a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place this is my one chance to succeed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

chances

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of chance

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 chances
Noun
September has arrived with the news that the National Hurricane Center is watching a new tropical depression a little over 100 miles off the southwest coast of Mexico, and a westward moving tropical wave far out in the Atlantic Ocean shows increasing chances of becoming a tropical cyclone. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025 Consistent water will help the division establish a strong root system that increases the chances of multiple flowers in spring. Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2025 The chances of the unit finishing within the top 15 — let alone the top 12 — seem relatively slim, particularly considering that the Bengals struggle in defending both the run and the pass. Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025 The chances of seeing a mountain lion are slim, but people can encounter them. Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Here's what to know about northern lights viewing chances. Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025 The weather service’s forecast suggests there will be off-and-on chances for showers and storms over the weekend and into next week. Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025 Our brief taste of fall weather gets interrupted today with some rain and thunderstorm chances, though most of the precipitation should land in the morning hours. Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025 The event also offers diners chances to win big bucks. Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
Precipitation chances in Little Rock fell on Friday, with temperatures remaining below average. Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025 Thunderstorms chances drop on Thursday through the weekend (chances at 5% or below). Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2025 Storm chances increase throughout the week, with a possibility of heavy rain in some areas and a blowing dust advisory in effect for parts of Pinal County and southeast Phoenix. Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 21 Aug. 2025 Storm chances for Saturday night are slight, below 25%, mainly north of the metro, with most of the area not expected to see significant rain. Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chances
Noun
  • With a bit more luck in the Safety Car, could have been a P8 or P7, even though the pace is difficult to evaluate.
    Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Thanks to a perfect storm of economic luck, such as affordable home prices and steady wages, boomers have accumulated a collective net worth of $82 trillion— more than double that of Gen X ($42 trillion) and four times that of millennials ($16 trillion), according to data from Investopedia.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Intersectionality proposes that societal problems such as crime and illiteracy correct themselves if opportunities and environments are evened out via public policy.
    John Scott Lewinski, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Crews continue to look for opportunities east and northeast of Sawmill Flat facing steep, dangerous terrain with limited natural features for containment.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Shark bite risk for water users remains extremely low, but a combination of factors (including increasing shark abundance, shifts in predator and prey distributions, and rising human attendance at beaches) can increase encounter probabilities.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • The extra copy is a problem, again spoiling the careful accounting of probabilities that quantum mechanics relies on.
    Matt von Hippel, Quanta Magazine, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Iterating on new architectures or scaling models to trillion-parameter size is simply out of reach for early-stage ventures.
    Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Shaq has a knack for turning star power into accessible ventures, whether that’s in fashion, food, or now fragrance.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As aid groups say famine has already taken hold, the assault risks the lives of remaining hostages—captured by Hamas in its October 2023 attack—while Netanyahu faces mounting political turmoil at home, even as Washington continues to hold Hamas responsible for prolonging the conflict.
    Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • If the effort once again stalls, reform advocates say, Congress risks squandering what may be its best chance in a decade to act.
    Nik Popli, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Hydroplaning happens when a vehicle starts sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • And the aforementioned circumstances at wide receiver don’t help that cause.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
  • As with all Greengrass’s films, though, this is a film about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, which is no doubt what drew him to Brad Ingelsby’s very human script.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Furthermore, these gambles do little to reinforce a company’s core operations, particularly considering that many tokens are already trading close to all-time highs.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • After a barrage of freaky, teasing scares, and a lot of ominous attention directed at Alex’s house, where something evil is clearly going on, Weapons gambles on providing solutions.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Chances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chances. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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