Hail Mary
noun
plural Hail Marys
1
: a Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary that consists of salutations and a plea for her intercession
2
or less commonly Hail Mary pass
: a long forward pass in football thrown into or near the end zone in a last-ditch attempt to score as time runs out
—often used figuratively
The only potential cure is a stem-cell transplant, when you take somebody else's immune system and put it into yours. But right now that's kind of a Hail Mary pass.—
Douglas Cote, quoted in Bicycling
Douglas Cote, quoted in BicyclingExamples of Hail Mary in a Sentence
He threw up a Hail Mary at the end of the first half.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lord Miller is next behind Project Hail Mary, which will be released March 20, 2026, by MGM.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Following the celebration, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones led a tribute honoring the 50th anniversary of Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson’s Hail Mary touchdown pass against the Minnesota Vikings in 1975 playoffs, one of the NFL’s most iconic catches.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2025
The dynamic duo of Kate and Hal have pulled off one more Hail Mary pass, and seemingly, a romantic reconciliation, too.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025
The Bengals eventually kicked the go-ahead field goal with seven seconds remaining and an Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary attempt failed as time ran out.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
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Justin Kroll, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Following the celebration, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones led a tribute honoring the 50th anniversary of Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson’s Hail Mary touchdown pass against the Minnesota Vikings in 1975 playoffs, one of the NFL’s most iconic catches.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2025
The dynamic duo of Kate and Hal have pulled off one more Hail Mary pass, and seemingly, a romantic reconciliation, too.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025
The Bengals eventually kicked the go-ahead field goal with seven seconds remaining and an Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary attempt failed as time ran out.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Hail Mary
Cite this Entry
“Hail Mary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hail%20Mary. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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