"crapshoot" means: A game of craps.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
Seen in the wild
3 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
... actually wait yeah no that's not true LMAO i guess 2023 KIND OF was okay? but then the genocide started and i started getting involved in protesting. and it started kind of crap too. but everything else has been a…
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BlueskyMay 2026
Falling down the Metal Cardbot rabbit hole. Can anyone recommend online retailers? Found some good deals on eBay, but want other options. There's a few good prices on Ali Express, but that always feels like a crapsh…
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BlueskyMay 2026
AatP dresses are such a crapshoot in terms of quality - sometimes the fabric is gorgeous, and other times it's this printed satin that snags if you look at it funny. Very very frustrating
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Definitions
US
#1·Apr 27, 2026US
A game of craps.
"Well, yeah, I can see that. It's not like he lives in the 'hood, yadamean? Who comes way out here? It'd be a real crapshoot. People out here'd either pull a gun on you or invite you for pot roast."
For parents
"crapshoot" means: A game of craps.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
"crapshoot" means: A game of craps.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
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US
#2·Apr 27, 2026US
(US, figurative) A venture with a highly risky or unpredictable outcome.
"Well, yeah, I can see that. It's not like he lives in the 'hood, yadamean? Who comes way out here? It'd be a real crapshoot. People out here'd either pull a gun on you or invite you for pot roast."
Cluster: violence
Heard in the wild
“... actually wait yeah no that's not true LMAO i guess 2023 KIND OF was okay? but then the genocide started and i started getting involved in protesting. and it started kind of crap too. but everything else has been a crapshoot tbh.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Falling down the Metal Cardbot rabbit hole. Can anyone recommend online retailers? Found some good deals on eBay, but want other options. There's a few good prices on Ali Express, but that always feels like a crapshoot (unless someone can recommend sellers there). Thanks!”
— Bluesky· May 2026“AatP dresses are such a crapshoot in terms of quality - sometimes the fabric is gorgeous, and other times it's this printed satin that snags if you look at it funny. Very very frustrating”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "crapshoot" (C)
(c)rappercrapperificcrappifycrappletcrapplicationcrappycraptabulouscraptacularcraptasticcraptasticalcraptasticallycrapton
Browse all slang words starting with C.