sweep·stake /ˈswiːpsteɪk/British EnglishBrE, sweepstakes American English noun [countableC]
1.DGGa type of betting in which the winner receives all the money risked by everyone else 赌金全赢制
2.American EnglishAmE a type of competition in which you have the chance to win a prize if your name is chosen 抽彩〔名字被选中便赢得奖品〕
3American EnglishAmE a competition, election etc in which no one knows who will be the winner 胜负难料的比赛[竞选等]
the presidential sweepstakes
胜负难料的总统竞选
Examples from the Corpus
sweepstake• Clare felt as if she had won a sweepstake.• Officials at Cheltenham, which stages the trialfixture on November 15, have agreed to hold sweepstakes on the races.• Since his last visit she has framed the letter that arrived with some magazinesubscriptionsweepstakes.• Could it be one of those sweepstakes enticements that would bury me under a dune of unwanted magazines?• There are then further prizes of goldmedals, the Phillips Cup and the proceeds of two sweepstakes.