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
In this case, TV/media, advertisers and the league itself saw a cash cow not Black or white, but green.
—
Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 12 June 2024
Of course, Ride the Slide participants would have to sign a liability waiver before sliding so that this doesn’t turn from a cash cow into a financial risk.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 15 Feb. 2024
Successive governments have managed this cash cow quite admirably, especially in contrast to some of their resource-rich South American neighbors.
—Shannon K. O'Neil, Foreign Affairs, 3 May 2017
In the streaming world, that cash cow doesn’t exist.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for cash cow 
Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 12 June 2024
Of course, Ride the Slide participants would have to sign a liability waiver before sliding so that this doesn’t turn from a cash cow into a financial risk.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 15 Feb. 2024
Successive governments have managed this cash cow quite admirably, especially in contrast to some of their resource-rich South American neighbors.
—Shannon K. O'Neil, Foreign Affairs, 3 May 2017
In the streaming world, that cash cow doesn’t exist.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for cash cow
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cash cow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Cash cow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cash%20cow. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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