CHANCES Synonyms: 115 Similar and Opposite Words

chances 1 of 2

noun

plural of chance

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

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in opportunities

a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place this is my one chance to succeed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

as in gambles

a risky undertaking it's a chance, but I think the business will be profitable

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sure things

chances

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of chance

as in risks

to take a chance on I don't think we should chance driving in this snowstorm

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as in happens

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 chances

Noun

Ohio Republicans redrew Kaptur’s seat this cycle, but Democrats are bullish on her chances. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026 What readers are saying The comments reflect a mix of skepticism and concern about the upcoming elections, with some expressing doubt about the Democrats' chances in the Senate and others worried about potential election chaos and disputes. — Amber Phillips, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026 The week will start dry and warmer than normal, but rain chances return Tuesday and could dampen Halloween spirits, with a 40% chance of rain Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. — Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026 Brazil's Supreme Court also extended voting for two hours late Sunday, which Bolsonaro argued hurt his chances of winning the presidency. — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026 Special teams struggles hurt the Blackhawks, who went 0 for 7 on the power play while also failing to capitalize on other chances at even strength. — Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026 After midnight, there will be low rain chances for areas west of the Metroplex like Bowie and Graham. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Oct. 2026 Sacramento International Airport, and areas towards the foothills such as Roseville or Folsom, will have the highest chances for fog overnight this week. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Fans are cautious about discussing UCLA’s chances of making the College Football Playoff, despite the Bruins becoming the last undefeated team in the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference. — Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Verb

Some models bring the moisture in Tuesday, increasing rain chances Tuesday afternoon and evening, the weather service said. — Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026 Clouds return Monday along with minimal rain chances thanks to a weak front. — Joseph Dames, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 On prediction market platform Kalshi, chances for a hike in October stood at just 18%, down from almost 70% a week ago. — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026 Rain chances midweek Southeast Texas will be on the receiving end of moisture from two sources, according to forecasters. — Roberto Villalpando, Houston Chronicle, 27 Sep. 2026 After dark, chances rise to 90% and the totals could exceed a half an inch, forecasters say. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2026 Highs are expected in the upper 80s and the rain chances for the week through Sunday hover around the 80% range — especially Wednesday when the weather service puts storm chances at 88%. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026 Rain chances in Central Florida climb to 80% on Labor Day with temperatures in the 90s, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2026 Rain chances along the storm's path remain over 60% on Wednesday, according to weather service forecasts. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chances

Noun

The prince didn’t have any luck in blocking Kelce, which comes as little surprise given the Chiefs star knows how to avoid defensive players.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
Halloween fireballs Our last pick is going to take a great deal of patience, and a good amount of luck!

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of luck

Noun

In Singapore, where retail payments are already highly efficient, stablecoins may have fewer applications in consumer transactions, while corporate payments could offer greater opportunities, Driver said.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
Organizations that proactively consider employee skill sets and willingness or desire for change can then weigh those skills and desires against firm needs, bringing more opportunities to their employee set.

— Tim Brackney, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of opportunities

Noun

But of course there's a distribution of future unknown probabilities.

— Sean Conlon,Hugh Leask,Lee Ying Shan,Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
Farther east, including the I-35 corridor and the metroplex, rain chances will generally range from 30–50%, with lower probabilities toward our southeastern counties.

— Michael Autovino, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of probabilities

Noun

While the human might try big gambles to come back from a significant deficit, Ataraxos would work its way back into the game slowly and methodically.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026
On fourth-and-6 from the Poinciana 48, Gateway Coach Marlin Roberts and gambles on the first play of the fourth quarter.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of gambles

Verb

Without one, the country risks stalling tools central to its competitiveness, or building them at the expense of the communities next door.

— Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
But that goal risks complicating the campaign for a 20% federal incentive for domestic production, which has broader industry support and which advocates hope will pass by the end of the year.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of risks

Verb

For the technology leader responsible for keeping essential services running, these details provide a basis for assessing what protections exist and what happens in an extreme scenario.

— Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
The conversational layer may be what a borrower sees, but the difficult work happens deeper in the stack, where documents, rules, calculations, decisions, and transaction states have to remain connected.

— Ethan Stone, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of happens

Noun

These circumstances, too, create a perception of the world as unpredictable and may lead people to seek escape via alcohol or other drugs.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
In a Facebook post, police explained that officers can consider the circumstances when deciding whether warnings, citations or other enforcement are appropriate within the law and department policy.

— CBS News, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of circumstances

Noun

Trump has repeatedly praised his administration's relationship with Rodríguez, highlighting agreements involving Venezuelan oil production and other business ventures with American companies.

— Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
While in the United States, the pair took on a variety of media ventures — including a podcast, a television series and documentaries — under their multimedia company Archewell Productions.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026