1
: a pointed piece of wood or other material driven or to be driven into the ground as a marker or support
2
a
: a post to which a person is bound for execution by burning
b
: execution by burning at a stake
3
a
: something that is staked for gain or loss
b
: the prize in a contest
c
: an interest or share in an undertaking or enterprise
4
: a Mormon territorial jurisdiction comprising a group of wards
5
6
: stakes race
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
staked; staking
1
: to mark the limits of by or as if by stakes
2
: to tether to a stake
4
: to fasten up or support (something, such as a plant) with stakes
5
: to back financially
6
Synonyms
Examples of stake in a Sentence
Noun
Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.
a poker game with high stakes
The stakes are too high.
Verb
She staked the tomatoes to keep them from falling over.
the actor staked the entire production of the film with his own money
Recent Examples on the Web
Amelia Lucas,rohan Goswami, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2024
According to a 2018 interview with The New York Times, Alexandre was the one who persuaded his father to buy an 80% stake in the German suitcase company.
—Ariana Quihuiz, Peoplemag, 13 Aug. 2024
New Atlas, 7 Aug. 2024
In recent years, popular movies have staked their claims to attention mainly with fantasy and spectacle.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stake 
Noun
Activist investor Elliott Management had acquired a stake in the company in recent weeks.
—Amelia Lucas,rohan Goswami, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2024
According to a 2018 interview with The New York Times, Alexandre was the one who persuaded his father to buy an 80% stake in the German suitcase company.
—Ariana Quihuiz, Peoplemag, 13 Aug. 2024
Verb
This sort of bullet-like construction streamlines not only setup, by minimizing the number of corners that need staking down, but also aerodynamic wind performance.
—New Atlas, 7 Aug. 2024
In recent years, popular movies have staked their claims to attention mainly with fantasy and spectacle.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stake
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stake
Cite this Entry
“Stake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stake. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stake
1 of 2 noun1
: a pointed piece (as of wood or metal) driven or to be driven into the ground especially as a marker or support
2
: a post to which a person is bound for execution by burning
3
a
: something that is staked for gain or loss
b
: the prize in a contest
c
: an interest or share in a business
4
stake
2 of 2 verb
staked; staking
1
a
: to mark the limits of by stakes
stake out a mining claim
b
: to tie to a stake
c
: to fasten up or support (as plants) with stakes
2
b
: to back financially
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