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 Ahmanson can no longer be counted on as the cash cow, as the subscription model has become less reliable and competition for Broadway tours has grown more intense.
—
Charles McNulty, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
Yet they have been forced to grab the hind legs of the CFP cash cow and hold on, together, for dear life.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
That’s keeping older planes in service longer, which boosts GE’s revenue from engine maintenance, the cash cow of the business.
—Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
For their long-term survival, both broadcast and cable news have the cash cow of live sports.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 4 Mar. 2024
This business model has made Data iSight a cash cow.
—Chris Hamby, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Shell has agreed to sell its Nigerian onshore oil subsidiary for up to $2.4 billion, making good on a promise to exit what was for decades one of its most dependable cash cows but in recent years has become a big drag on its reputation.
—Christian Moess Laursen, WSJ, 16 Jan. 2024
An election cash cow The GOP is in pathetic shape in California.
—Mark Z. Barabak, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024
This regulation, in effect everywhere but Arizona and Utah, effectively sidelines private equity firms and other investors who might otherwise be keen to turn profitable law practices into their next cash cow.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
Charles McNulty, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2024
Yet they have been forced to grab the hind legs of the CFP cash cow and hold on, together, for dear life.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
That’s keeping older planes in service longer, which boosts GE’s revenue from engine maintenance, the cash cow of the business.
—Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
For their long-term survival, both broadcast and cable news have the cash cow of live sports.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 4 Mar. 2024
This business model has made Data iSight a cash cow.
—Chris Hamby, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Shell has agreed to sell its Nigerian onshore oil subsidiary for up to $2.4 billion, making good on a promise to exit what was for decades one of its most dependable cash cows but in recent years has become a big drag on its reputation.
—Christian Moess Laursen, WSJ, 16 Jan. 2024
An election cash cow The GOP is in pathetic shape in California.
—Mark Z. Barabak, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024
This regulation, in effect everywhere but Arizona and Utah, effectively sidelines private equity firms and other investors who might otherwise be keen to turn profitable law practices into their next cash cow.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
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.
Dictionary Entries Near cash cow
Cite this Entry
“Cash cow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cash%20cow. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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