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stand a chance

Idioms

Have a possibility or a hope of success, as in Do you think Mary stands a chance of finishing the marathon? or I think we stand a fair chance of seeing the Queen arrive at Buckingham Palace. This idiom was first recorded in 1796. Also see not have an earthly chance.

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.

See Examples For:

stand a chance

While The Official Monster Raving Loony Party kicks members out if they stand a chance of winning an election, certain policies it has campaigned on since it formed in 1983 have become law.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

Opposing points of view don’t stand a chance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026

"To show people that if they take action and publicly voice their opposition, they actually stand a chance" of winning.

From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026

In an AI era when attackers can jiggle every virtual doorknob continuously, human defenders don’t stand a chance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

"Won't you come with me? Three of us-we'd stand a chance."

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023