surefire

adjective

sure·​fire ˈshu̇r-ˈfī(-ə)r 

ˈshər-

: certain to get successful or expected results

a surefire recipe

Synonyms

• reliable
• sure
• fail-safe

Examples of surefire in a Sentence

The movie is a surefire hit with teenagers.

There is no surefire way to predict the outcome.

Recent Examples on the Web

There's no surefire way to prevent an electric vehicle from overheating in extreme temperatures, but there are steps drivers can take to keep their EVs cooler and ensure better performance. —Charles Singh, USA Today, 28 June 2025

There’s no surefire way to keep AI companies from scraping news websites; even the Robots Exclusion Protocol, the standard opt-out method available to news publishers, is easily circumvented. —Alex Reisner, The Atlantic, 25 June 2025

Trust me, pressing down is a surefire way to make your bathroom look like a crime scene. —Iman Balagam, Vogue, 23 June 2025

No longer did the Oklahoma City Thunder look like a surefire bet to reach the NBA Finals. —Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for surefire

• acquire
• attire
• bonfire
• campfire
• ceasefire
• conspire
• desire
• enquire
• entire
• greenbrier
• gunfire
• homebuyer

Kids Definition

surefire

adjective

sure·​fire ˌshu̇r-ˌfī(ə)r 

: certain to get results