odds are, the

Idioms

The chances are, as in The odds are that they'll serve turkey for Thanksgiving. Replacing it is odds by the late 1600s, this phrase refers to betting.

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.

When you ask ChatGPT and other AIs to recommend a product or service, odds are the top answers were put there by humans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

When that changes, all bets are off, and odds are the ghosts will move on.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 29, 2024

Name a fast-food restaurant and the odds are the company has recently developed a branch without any restaurant at all.

From Slate • Sep. 9, 2022

When illegal behavior continues unabated, odds are the legal limit of the punishment is insufficient to serve as a deterrence.

From Washington Times • Jul. 22, 2020

If, when attempting to talk with another user, it responds with an error about protocol families, odds are the incompatibilities between versions of talk is the culprit.

From Zen and the Art of the Internet by Kehoe, Brendan P.

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