a roll of the dice
idiom
informal
—used to say that something could have either a good result or a bad result
Opening a new restaurant is always a roll of the dice.
It's a roll of the dice whether we succeed or fail.
Examples of a roll of the dice in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Before the backdrop of a magmatic cavern stand three adventurers: a warrior, a mage, and a trickster who, with a roll of the dice, are preparing to defeat a tentacled chthonic beast.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2024
But the Santa Rosa club members aren’t the only ones out there who prefer a roll of the dice to a mouse click.
—Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2024
My problem is that signing up for a lesson through a resort or a health club is such a roll of the dice.
—Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024
Even daily life can feel like a roll of the dice: With regularity, some Americans go to school, the grocery store, church, a concert, or the movies and get gunned down in a random act of mass murder.
—Brian Klaas, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2024
For now, the death of our planet is a roll of the dice away from certainty.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Dec. 2023
Every day since the trees were planted has been a roll of the dice.
—Stefanos Chen Bryan Anselm, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2023
Their seats, however, were dictated by a roll of the dice.
—Jasmine Li, Fortune, 13 Sep. 2023
That might be a roll of the dice no media outlet wants to take.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Sep. 2023
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.
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2024
But the Santa Rosa club members aren’t the only ones out there who prefer a roll of the dice to a mouse click.
—Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2024
My problem is that signing up for a lesson through a resort or a health club is such a roll of the dice.
—Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024
Even daily life can feel like a roll of the dice: With regularity, some Americans go to school, the grocery store, church, a concert, or the movies and get gunned down in a random act of mass murder.
—Brian Klaas, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2024
For now, the death of our planet is a roll of the dice away from certainty.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Dec. 2023
Every day since the trees were planted has been a roll of the dice.
—Stefanos Chen Bryan Anselm, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2023
Their seats, however, were dictated by a roll of the dice.
—Jasmine Li, Fortune, 13 Sep. 2023
That might be a roll of the dice no media outlet wants to take.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Sep. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near a roll of the dice
Cite this Entry
“A roll of the dice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20roll%20of%20the%20dice. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share