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
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.
The family affair ended with a golden ticket straight to Hollywood, causing the Backstreet Boys alum to tear up and beam with pride. Kayla Grant, People.com, 10 Mar. 2025 Grades and test scores are no longer the golden ticket. Sarah Hernholm, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025 Playwriting has never been a golden ticket, or even, for most, a subway pass. Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025 Traditional degrees are no longer the golden ticket to career success. Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Golden ticket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/golden%20ticket. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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