How to Use likelihood in a Sentence

likelihood

noun
  • There is a strong likelihood that he will be reelected.
  • What’s the likelihood of layoffs in the next six months?
    — Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 14 June 2022
  • The likelihood is that 2030 will take place across three.
    — Rory Smith, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2023
  • This is, in all likelihood, the last of these movies Gunn will make, at least for a while.
    — A.a. Dowd, Chron, 28 Apr. 2023
  • What is the likelihood the mifepristone case goes to the Supreme Court?
    — John Fritze, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2023
  • There's a greater likelihood of a cold streak falling on the Philly end.
    — Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 26 Oct. 2022
  • In all likelihood, the game will decide the No. 1 seed from the 6A-West, along with a first-round bye in the playoffs.
    — Sam Lane, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2022
  • And that ups the likelihood of irritation.2 What can lactic acid do for your skin?
    — Melanie Rud, SELF, 26 Sep. 2023
  • The costs still aren’t enough to kill his empire, in all likelihood.
    — Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 28 Apr. 2023
  • Milley’s comments raised the likelihood that more of the weapons could be sent to Ukraine.
    — Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 9 June 2022
  • First is the likelihood that drivers will file a claim, and how much those claims will cost to pay out.
    — Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 28 Jan. 2025
  • The likelihood of a loss to the lowly Beavers is south of 50 percent but well north of zero.
    — Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024
  • That's up from a mere 33% likelihood for a May rate increase that was priced in a month ago.
    — Paul R. La Monica, CNN, 14 Feb. 2023
  • As the death toll of trees increase, so, too, does the likelihood of wildfires, the authors warned.
    — Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Witt is one of the fastest people in the league, so a base hit in all likelihood was going to be a two-run lead.
    — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2025
  • Wednesday should be rather warm as well, despite the likelihood of a good deal of clouds.
    — Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
  • In turn, this adds to the likelihood that the next iPhones could be ready in time for release on September 16.
    — David Phelan, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022
  • In all likelihood Jones does not have the money to pay Wednesday’s award.
    — Elizabeth Williamson, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Oct. 2022
  • The closer the stock gets to the offer price, the higher likelihood that investors put on the deal going through.
    — Will Feuer, WSJ, 5 May 2022
  • Bases were enlarged to increase the likelihood they’d be stolen.
    — Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Nov. 2023
  • For voters overall, 51% said the search would have no impact on their likelihood to vote in the midterms.
    — John McCormick, WSJ, 1 Sep. 2022
  • This reduces the likelihood of scratching your pots and pans.
    — Claire Hoppe, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2024
  • Shortly after Powell downplayed the likelihood of an even greater jump, the Dow and S&P 500 ticked up to their highs of the day.
    — Q.ai - Powering A Personal Wealth Movement, Forbes, 6 May 2022
  • That matters for a range of big reasons – not least the likelihood that Nevada will be in play in 2024.
    — Alisa Wiersema, ABC News, 15 June 2022
  • This is, in all likelihood, that biggest rock show to play Concord in many years.
    — Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024
  • Still, the likelihood of being that close to a breaching whale is pretty low.
    — Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 17 Oct. 2022
  • But there’s one concern that stands out: the likelihood that the GOP will drag the country to the brink of a debt default, and perhaps even push us over the edge.
    — Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 14 Jan. 2023
  • The test is meant to help physicians rule out autism in children who have higher likelihoods of it.
    — Evan Bush, NBC News, 6 Feb. 2025
  • What is the fighting about, who backs each country, and what is the likelihood of a broader conflict?
    — David Faris, The Week, 15 Sep. 2022
  • Emphasize the likelihood of your bet settling as a win, rather than the odds and potential payout.
    — Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'likelihood.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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