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
That set up another odd coaching choice from head coach Jerod Mayo, who, instead of attempting a Hail Mary, opted to try something on a cold day that had never been accomplished in the history of the NFL — a 68-yard field goal from kicker Joey Slye.
—Chad Graff, The Athletic, 2 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, 30 Nov. 2024
In what may be best described as a desperate Hail Mary, Russian troops attempted to flank Kupiansk’s defenders by crossing the Oskil River in boats.
—David Axe, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
That led to a 15-minute delay while fans were cleared from the field to allow BYU to run the final play, a Hail Mary pass that was ruled incomplete short of the end zone.
—Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for Hail Mary 
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Chad Graff, The Athletic, 2 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, 30 Nov. 2024
In what may be best described as a desperate Hail Mary, Russian troops attempted to flank Kupiansk’s defenders by crossing the Oskil River in boats.
—David Axe, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
That led to a 15-minute delay while fans were cleared from the field to allow BYU to run the final play, a Hail Mary pass that was ruled incomplete short of the end zone.
—Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 26 Nov. 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 15 Dec. 2024.
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