Hail Mary
noun
plural Hail Marys
1
: a Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary that consists of salutations and a plea for her intercession
2
or less commonly Hail Mary pass
: a long forward pass in football thrown into or near the end zone in a last-ditch attempt to score as time runs out
—often used figuratively
The only potential cure is a stem-cell transplant, when you take somebody else's immune system and put it into yours. But right now that's kind of a Hail Mary pass.—
Douglas Cote, quoted in Bicycling
Douglas Cote, quoted in BicyclingExamples of Hail Mary in a Sentence
He threw up a Hail Mary at the end of the first half.
Recent Examples on the Web
The other two were the final play of the game: the Washington Commanders’ Hail Mary against the Bears and Drake Maye’s wild scramble in this same end zone to throw the game-tying touchdown pass against the Titans in Week 9.
—Paul Dehner Jr., The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Week 8: Commanders 18, Bears 15 1 of 33
The Chicago Bears tip a Hail Mary pass that Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (85) caught for a touchdown to win the game on the final play of the fourth quarter on Oct. 27, 2024, at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 Dec. 2024
Business had slowed significantly by 2023, though, which was when Steele launched on TikTok Shop and pivoted to body care in a Hail Mary effort to save the business, then on the brink of bankruptcy.
—Noor Lobad, WWD, 6 Dec. 2024
On the final play of the game, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson tossed a Hail Mary toward the end zone.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for Hail Mary 
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Paul Dehner Jr., The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Week 8: Commanders 18, Bears 15 1 of 33
The Chicago Bears tip a Hail Mary pass that Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (85) caught for a touchdown to win the game on the final play of the fourth quarter on Oct. 27, 2024, at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 Dec. 2024
Business had slowed significantly by 2023, though, which was when Steele launched on TikTok Shop and pivoted to body care in a Hail Mary effort to save the business, then on the brink of bankruptcy.
—Noor Lobad, WWD, 6 Dec. 2024
On the final play of the game, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson tossed a Hail Mary toward the end zone.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for Hail Mary
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Cite this Entry
“Hail Mary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hail%20Mary. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.
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