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.
Ya-Ya raises an eyebrow and tells her, so Eve races to a graveyard in the middle of the pouring rain, looking for help so her meal ticket doesn’t cash out on her. Erin Qualey, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2024 The musical grinds to a halt whenever Norma is offstage and a chorus of showbiz wannabes, clad in cargo pants and hoodies, scavenge for their next meal ticket. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024 That shot’s either going to be his meal ticket or his ticket outta town. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2024 Berger also pledged that Players Era’s grand ambitions for the future would not come into conflict with the NCAA’s vernal meal ticket. Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019 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 22 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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