Hail Mary
noun
plural Hail Marys
1
: a Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary that consists of salutations and a plea for her intercession
2
or less commonly Hail Mary pass
: a long forward pass in football thrown into or near the end zone in a last-ditch attempt to score as time runs out
—often used figuratively
The only potential cure is a stem-cell transplant, when you take somebody else's immune system and put it into yours. But right now that's kind of a Hail Mary pass.—
Douglas Cote, quoted in Bicycling
Douglas Cote, quoted in BicyclingExamples of Hail Mary in a Sentence
He threw up a Hail Mary at the end of the first half.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Bears lost this matchup in embarrassing fashion last year as the Commanders completed a Hail Mary with time expiring.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
The players won’t be watching the ABC coverage, which will certainly air the Hail Mary several times.
—Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
More than 400 users also responded to the comment, adding their own message to Cardi or supporting Pooh Shiesty’s Hail Mary shot.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 8 Oct. 2025
On the next play, Hurts threw a last-ditch Hail Mary into the end zone.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Hail Mary
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Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
The players won’t be watching the ABC coverage, which will certainly air the Hail Mary several times.
—Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
More than 400 users also responded to the comment, adding their own message to Cardi or supporting Pooh Shiesty’s Hail Mary shot.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 8 Oct. 2025
On the next play, Hurts threw a last-ditch Hail Mary into the end zone.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Hail Mary
Cite this Entry
“Hail Mary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hail%20Mary. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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