golden ticket

noun

plural golden tickets
: an extremely valuable opportunity or means of access to something desired
Back in 2005, the little-known playwright Glen Berger snagged a golden ticket of a job: writing the script for a Spider-Man musical directed by the MacArthur-certified genius Julie Taymor (The Lion King), with a score by U2's Bono and the Edge.Thom Geier
The bachelor's degree, he thinks, is the golden ticket that makes a career and everything else possible.Thomas Frank
… everyone I fight, I am their golden ticket because they know if they can beat me, they will make a name for themselves and go on to bigger and better things.James Degale

Examples of golden ticket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The package also showed popcorn, an apple with a pastry, a golden ticket and a church robe. Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024 And while there’s no such thing as a golden ticket in the startup game, for founders hoping to break into the tech business, earning a spot in GV’s portfolio can feel pretty close. Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2024 Think of it as the Willy Wonka golden ticket of prop tours. Remy Blumenfeld, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Sep. 2024 Lotus But Geely's ownership of Lotus has not been quite the golden ticket some of us had hoped. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for golden ticket 

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of golden ticket was in 1890

Dictionary Entries Near golden ticket

Cite this Entry

“Golden ticket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/golden%20ticket. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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