bet

1 of 3

noun

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

2 of 3

verb

bet also betted; betting

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to lay a bet

bet

3 of 3

abbreviation

between

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
In 1902, Colts ownership placed sporting bets with opposing team owners. Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2024 Ohtani’s lawyers accuse the interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, of stealing millions of dollars and placing bets with a bookmaker under federal investigation, according to ESPN and the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the story. Jacob Lev, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 In other words, will some back off in contributing money or perhaps hedge their bets now that Ferbert potentially has flipped the script? Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024 Demand for larger jets, bullish bets on travel growth and strains on planemakers’ ability to meet demand for single-aisle aircraft this decade is fueling a surge in wide-body orders. Danny Lee, Fortune Asia, 21 Mar. 2024 Mizuhara placed bets with Bowyer, according to the sources, who requested anonymity to share sensitive information. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, Cathy Edwards, who led a lot of the work on Google News and Google Discover, is taking a job on Google’s long-term bets team. David Pierce, The Verge, 19 Mar. 2024 This well-above industry average RTP demonstrates the casino’s commitment to fairness and transparency, promising players a substantial return on their bets. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 But are these online wagers on the outcome of sporting events legally on tribal land, when really only the computer servers are located there, accepting bets made using mobile phones and computers from anywhere in Florida? Mike Schneider, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024
Verb
In fact, Overtime was created with the specific goal of developing players and betting on many of them moving on to bigger deals. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 An article on Saturday about online betting on Oscar winners described incorrectly an estimate provided by the American Gaming Association. New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 More news:Some school districts bet on AI as future of security while others raise doubts Baranko carried her out of the home before crews arrived and took over care of the woman. Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Mar. 2024 On betting sites such as FanDuel and DraftKings, Oppenheimer was such a favorite for best picture that gamblers needed to put up $5,000 just to win $100. Thomas Buckley, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024 Gamblers can bet at any of seven ticket-writer windows and 10 self-service betting kiosks, and private groups can reserve a Fan Cave or Upper Deck seating. Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2024 Precious metal prices have gone up because investors are betting that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in the back half of the year. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Determining winners and betting on horse racing is more difficult than meets the eye or just wagering on the favorites. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The casino’s official entrance to sports gambling follows an explosion of interest in sports gambling on a national level — for instance, a report from financial company LendingTree said that about half of Americans were betting on the Super Bowl. David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 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.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bet was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near bet

Cite this Entry

“Bet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bet. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bet

1 of 2 noun
1
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on bet

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