sweepstakes
Americannoun
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a race or other contest for which the prize consists of the stakes contributed by the various competitors.
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the prize itself.
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a lottery in which winning tickets are selected at random, each winning-ticket number then being matched to one of the horses nominated for or entered in a specific race, and the amounts paid the winners being determined by the finishing order of the horses that run.
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any gambling transaction in which each of a number of persons contributes a stake, and the stakes are awarded to one or several winners.
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a risky venture that promises large rewards.
the high-tech sweepstakes.
Etymology
Origin of sweepstakes
1485–95; earlier swepestake originally, a person who won all the stakes in a game; see sweep 1, stake 2, -s 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The San Diego Zoo’s “It All Started with a Roar” float, which won the Sweepstakes award.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2024
Sweepstakes are primarily governed by state laws, which require that no purchase is necessary to participate.
From Washington Times • Oct. 16, 2023
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, which organizes the lottery, has not revealed the names of the winners.
From New York Times • Oct. 5, 2022
And yet I still think the Mariners should jump into the Soto Sweepstakes.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 17, 2022
They were Connor Kane’s secret entry cards in the Break-the-Silence Sweepstakes Challenge.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
