cash cow
noun
1
: a consistently profitable business, property, or product whose profits are used to finance a company's investments in other areas
2
: one regarded or exploited as a reliable source of money
a singer deemed a cash cow for the record label
Examples of cash cow in a Sentence
The football team was a cash cow for the university.
The movie studio saw the actress as a cash cow.
Recent Examples on the Web
The writing was pure, yet every column was lined with flamboyantly tasteful advertisements; the magazine was a kind of literary cash cow.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025
Although the professionals complain throughout each grueling annual run, most regard this holiday tradition—and cash cow—with affection.
—Faye Arthurs, Air Mail, 29 Nov. 2025
Now, those might be a real cash cow.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 22 Nov. 2025
The concept comes straight out of the brains of its eccentric founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who saw the massive profit margins from search advertising as a means to build something much more interesting than an internet cash cow.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cash cow
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Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025
Although the professionals complain throughout each grueling annual run, most regard this holiday tradition—and cash cow—with affection.
—Faye Arthurs, Air Mail, 29 Nov. 2025
Now, those might be a real cash cow.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 22 Nov. 2025
The concept comes straight out of the brains of its eccentric founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who saw the massive profit margins from search advertising as a means to build something much more interesting than an internet cash cow.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cash cow
Cite this Entry
“Cash cow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cash%20cow. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
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