bet
noun
\ ˈbet
\
\
Definition of bet
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a
: 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
verb
bet
also betted;
betting
Definition of bet (Entry 2 of 3)
1a
: 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
2a
: 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
bet
abbreviationDefinition of bet (Entry 3 of 3)
between
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Synonyms for bet
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
gamble, go, lay, play, put, stake, wager
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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: Noun
Get some action in this one by placing a bet at BetMGM. — Chris Wassel, USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire, "Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres odds, picks and betting tips," 10 Sep. 2019 Those mitigating factors included Mina not previously being involved in any breaches of betting regulations; the fact that Betjuego is a Colombian company that does not operate in the UK - nor allows online bets to be made from the UK. — SI.com, "Yerry Mina: Everton Defender Fined £10,000 After Admitting Breach of FA Betting Rules," 10 Sep. 2019 The move is part of a series of bets Trump is making to win states that went for Clinton in 2016. — Brian Bennett, Time, "Trump's New Math: Inside the Plan to Flip Blue States in 2020," 9 Sep. 2019 For Singer, the move represents one of the biggest bets in the four decades since the hard-driving activist investor founded his firm. — Scott Deveau, Fortune, "‘There Will Be a Fight’: AT&T Stock Soars As Activist Investor Looks to Shake Things Up," 9 Sep. 2019 According to the affidavit, gaming control officers interviewed a former business partner who stated since January 2016, Wells has taken 176,214 bets totaling $17,127,590.00 and made $1,826,862 in profit from the sports gambling business. — Akeem Glaspie, Indianapolis Star, "Former IU basketball player Joe Hillman accused of link to New Palestine-based gambling ring," 9 Sep. 2019 However, there have been more bets placed on the Jaguars and Colts to win the division. — Peter Dawson, Houston Chronicle, "Bettors and oddsmakers don't know what to make of Texans," 9 Sep. 2019 But keep in mind that every bet pays the same, no matter the teams or the talent gap. — Christopher Smith, al, "Vegas releases Week 3 SEC betting lines," 8 Sep. 2019 The state legalized sports betting in May and began taking bets on Sept. 1. — Luke Feliciano, Cincinnati.com, "Take a gamble: Hollywood Casino helps usher in a new era for Indiana sports betting," 7 Sep. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Again, if one is betting across the board, the -1.5 runs at +125 is worth a tiny wager for the Reds to cover. — Chris Wassel, USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire, "Cincinnati Reds at Seattle Mariners odds, picks and betting tips," 11 Sep. 2019 Cost: $20 per person includes meal voucher & bet voucher. — courant.com, "Community News For The Windsor Locks Edition," 11 Sep. 2019 Alabama was a single-digit betting favorite six times during the 2010 season and finished with an average line of -15.0. — Christopher Smith, al, "2019 Alabama twice as dominant as when it lost to South Carolina," 9 Sep. 2019 All of the betting information comes courtesy of SportsBetting.ag (www.sportsbetting.ag) and BetOnline.ag (www.betonline.ag). — Peter Dawson, Houston Chronicle, "Bettors and oddsmakers don't know what to make of Texans," 9 Sep. 2019 Apple has bet its future on getting customers to spend more on its apps and services, and that relies in part on people opting for them over the apps of rivals. — New York Times, "How Each Big Tech Company May Be Targeted by Regulators," 8 Sep. 2019 The film does recall how Soros made part of his fortune by betting against the Bank of England during a period of financial instability, so perhaps that partially explains the antipathy of people who view him as an opportunist. — Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Soros': Film Review | Telluride 2019," 6 Sep. 2019 Some speculators have recently been betting more aggressively against the Hong Kong dollar, believing the peg will break, said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst for Asia Pacific at Oanda. — Sherisse Pham, CNN, "Protesters are calling for a run on the Hong Kong dollar. Here's why that won't work," 6 Sep. 2019 Here’s betting his misery leads to better production from the offense. — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State football vs. Western Michigan predictions: Spartans' offense wakes up," 3 Sep. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for bet
bet
noun
English Language Learners Definition of bet
(Entry 1 of 2)
: an agreement in which people try to guess what will happen and the person who guesses wrong has to give something (such as money) to the person who guesses right
: the money or other valuable thing that you could win or lose in a bet
: a choice made by thinking about what will probably happen
bet
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of bet (Entry 2 of 2)
: to make a bet : to risk losing something (such as money) if your guess about what will happen is wrong
: to risk losing (something) when you try to do or achieve something
: to make decisions that are based on the belief that something will happen or is true
See the full definition for bet in the English Language Learners Dictionary