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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
For the best chance of seeing them, move away from city lights, lie flat on your back and look toward the southern sky near the Aquarius constellation, NASA says. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 1 July 2026 Rip currents are formidable natural forces, but knowing how to react can significantly increase your chances of safely navigating these challenging waters. — Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026
Verb
Wednesday will feature morning and evening storm chances with a slight threat — 2 on a scale of 5— of severe conditions. — Chris Shaffer, CBS News, 30 June 2026 Spain finally got on the board after dominating possession and chances thus far. — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 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
  • The group of death in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers wasn’t enough, because in Egypt’s next attempt to reach the finals in 2006, their luck put them in a group with Didier Drogba’s Ivory Coast and Samuel Eto’o’s Cameroon.
    — Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • In retrospect, the result looks less like luck than like a compounding advantage.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 July 2026
Definition of luck
Noun
  • Garibay’s one-handed save denied Jonathan Ricketts a sure goal in the 64th minute, and Moon pulled a 30-yard opportunity off a poor corner kick clearance just wide left.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 3 July 2026
  • The event also gave Kansas City’s Ghanaian residents an opportunity to introduce others to Jama, the tradition of singing, chanting and dancing that has long been intertwined with Ghanaian soccer culture and community celebrations.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
Definition of opportunity
Noun
  • The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.
    — STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 July 2026
  • The model assigns Morocco a higher probability than either the sportsbook or the prediction market, with gaps of roughly three percentage points in both cases.
    — Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of probability
Noun
  • One example is a joint venture with CDA near the future Route 390 and I-490 interchange next to O’Hare.
    — Marni Pike, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • General Catalyst, one of Silicon Valley’s larger venture firms, has built an entire strategy around buying labour-heavy service companies and rewiring them with AI before selling them on.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of venture
Adjective
  • Chomentowski lost her son in 2020 to an accidental drug overdose.
    — Brianna Wallen, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026
  • Police said Rushing's cause of death was likely an accidental drowning.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
Definition of accidental
Verb
  • The trial court risked prejudicing the jury by improperly admitting evidence about Mead Johnson’s finances, including its revenues, profits, and executive compensation, the appeals court said.
    — David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Delaying much beyond that risks the continuity that has sustained collider physics for generations.
    — Florencia Canelli, Scientific American, 1 July 2026
Definition of risk
Verb
  • That was a normal action in football that happened by accident.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • This is the business end, and this is the stage where, in my opinion, the big players step forward and the big players carry the pressure and make things happen.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of happen
Noun
  • The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Hughes did not respond to a message seeking more information about the circumstances of the crash.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026
Definition of circumstance

Phrases Containing chance

Browse Nearby Words

champs
chance
chanced
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chance. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on chance

Nglish: Translation of chance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chance

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All