golden ticket

noun

plural golden tickets

: an extremely valuable opportunity or means of access to something desired

Back in 2005, the little-known playwright Glen Berger snagged a golden ticket of a job: writing the script for a Spider-Man musical directed by the MacArthur-certified genius Julie Taymor (The Lion King), with a score by U2's Bono and the Edge.

—Thom Geier

The bachelor's degree, he thinks, is the golden ticket that makes a career and everything else possible.

—Thomas Frank

… everyone I fight, I am their golden ticket because they know if they can beat me, they will make a name for themselves and go on to bigger and better things.

—James Degale

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Lawson left with a golden ticket and a new travel destination: Hollywood. —Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2023

Yes, Booktok is nipping at Winfrey’s heels, especially where young readers are concerned, but her endorsement is still a golden ticket. —Elisabeth Egan, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2023

If whispers at Paris Fashion Week this month are to believed, Aubade is seen as the region's premier independent brand retailer by the jewelry design community, the golden ticket to a diverse retail market that appears deceptively simple to crack. —Kate Matthams, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2023

Then, fill one egg with a golden ticket or certificate to redeem a larger prize. —Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2023

For Russians, an Argentine passport is something of a golden ticket, granting visa-free access to more than 170 countries. —Natalia Abbakumova, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2023

See more a Babiekins » 14 Bring out everyone's competitive side by hiding a golden ticket in one plastic egg, and seeing how far people are willing to go to track it down. —Alesandra Dubin, Good Housekeeping, 23 Feb. 2023

Kya Monee' competed on Season 4, earning three yes's from the judges and clinching a coveted golden ticket. —Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above