meal ticket

noun

: one that serves as the ultimate source of one's income
an advanced degree was his meal ticket

Examples of meal ticket in a Sentence

a star player who is expected to be the team's meal ticket for many years An advanced degree was his meal ticket. We bought three meal tickets at the fair.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Plus, most business owners want to flip their company—that’s their meal ticket. Christopher Marquis, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024 At the Season 11 reunion, which ended with a slow flashback montage that now reads as a farewell, most of the arguments revolved around who was to blame for the fact that the show — their meal ticket — wasn’t going well. Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 28 Nov. 2024 Tension requires opposing forces that make things bend, not break, and Liam finally pushed his brother too far and, in the process, incinerated his biggest meal ticket for 15 years. Matthew Ismael Ruiz, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2024 Macrinus owns gladiators and sees Lucius as the meal ticket for his greater plans. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for meal ticket 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of meal ticket was circa 1899

Dictionary Entries Near meal ticket

Cite this Entry

“Meal ticket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meal%20ticket. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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