crapshoot

American

[krap-shoot] / ˈkræpˌʃut /

noun

Informal. anything unpredictable, risky, or problematical; gamble.

verb (used without object)

crapshot, crapshooting

to play craps.
Informal. to take risks; gamble.

Etymology

Origin of crapshoot

First recorded in 1970–75; crap ² + shoot ¹

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.

Until then, a bet on Fannie and Freddie’s common stocks is essentially a crapshoot.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

TSA has often been a crapshoot, risking pileups as travelers pulled laptops from carry-ons and novice vacationers struggled to untie their sneakers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 7, 2025

“The reality is the transfer portal, to me it’s a bigger crapshoot than a high school kid,” Fickell said.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 19, 2023

It has been two decades since Billy Beane famously branded the playoffs a crapshoot.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2023

Fringe theatergoing is a crapshoot; that’s pretty much a rule.

From New York Times • Sep. 1, 2023

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