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

Examples of golden ticket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Apple’s $100 billion pledge was their golden ticket. —Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

The famous children's series is based on a contest to find a golden ticket in order to tour Willy Wonka's factory. —Melina Khan, USA Today, 31 July 2025

Consider it your golden ticket to a seemingly limitless number of train rides across Europe. —Lyndsey Matthews, AFAR Media, 2 July 2025

Other various discounts and deals are available, including a golden ticket raffle. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for golden ticket

• chicot
• cricket
• picket
• picot
• thicket
• wicket