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

The job also comes with the ultimate perk — a golden ticket to live in PV forever, earned for the family once Russell satisfactorily completes 25 years of service. —Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024

One of Hollywood’s sacred red carpet rules is that merely holding an Oscar can be a golden ticket to just about every swell soiree in town. —Benjamin Svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024

Bryan praised a crying Angelina for being so brave and stepping up to advocate for her sister, after which the weepy Angelina handed over the golden ticket to her overwhelmed big sis. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 18 Mar. 2024

While Schiff appears likely to finish in the top two in the California primary, which is all candidates have to do to win a golden ticket to the November election, his challenger may not be known for a while. —Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024

Sources say the golden ticket for amateurs to play alongside one of the pros skyrocketed from $38,000 to $70,000 this year to offset the loss of nearly half the field. —Adam Schupak, The Arizona Republic, 30 Jan. 2024

Wonka's golden ticket continues to shine in its fourth week of release. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2024

From acne and dryness, to off-kilter pH and uneven skin tone, a topical application of honey may be your golden ticket to an improved complexion. —Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024

Many millennials like her were taught as teens that college was the golden ticket to career success, and largely one of the only bastions to job security. —Jasmine Browley, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above