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stake - definition and synonyms


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noun     stake pronunciation in British English
Word Forms
  1. 1
    [countable] business the part of a business that you own because you have invested money in it
    stake in:

    They took a 40% stake in the company last year.

    a majority/minority stake (=more/less than half):

    Coca-Cola has a majority stake in the company.

    1. a.
      [usually singular] the degree to which you are involved in something and want it to succeed
      have a stake in (doing) something:

      He has a huge stake in making the peace process work.

  2. 2
    [countable] an amount of money that you risk losing when you try to guess the result of a race or competition

    He liked gambling, but only for small stakes.

    1. a.


      [plural] the things that you can gain or lose by taking a risk, for example in business or politics
      high stakes (=a lot that could be won or lost):

      With such high stakes, the atmosphere was tense.

      raise the stakes (=risk gaining or losing more):

      The Americans have raised the stakes in a bitter fight over imports.

  3. 3
    [countable] a wooden or metal post with a pointed end that is used for supporting or marking something
    1. a.

      the stake

      a thick wooden pole that someone was tied to and burnt in the past as a punishment
      be burnt at the stake:

      Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake in 1431.

  4. 4


    [plural] used in the names of some horse races

    the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot

    1. a.
      used for talking about a competition or comparison that seems like a race

      Who are the main contenders in the party leadership stakes?

      in the popularity/fitness/beauty etc stakes:

      They’re running neck and neck in the popularity stakes.

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a person who has or claims to have a lot of influence

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