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
Sabally — now back as a member of the Toronto Tempo — threw her Hail Mary using the traditional shooting form on Wednesday.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 3 June 2026
The word can refer to a physical object – a set of 50 beads or knots on a string – or certain sets of prayers, including Hail Mary and Our Father.
—Bridget Retzloff, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
After the latest Hail Mary attempt to privatize Pinnacol through legislative means fell short at the tail end of the session earlier this month, a group backing privatization put all its chips on Initiative 317.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Henne connected on a Hail Mary to Manningham to get Michigan in field goal range with just seconds remaining, but the game-winning attempt was blocked, sending horrified Wolverine fans to the exits and stunning the entire college football world.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for Hail Mary
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Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 3 June 2026
The word can refer to a physical object – a set of 50 beads or knots on a string – or certain sets of prayers, including Hail Mary and Our Father.
—Bridget Retzloff, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
After the latest Hail Mary attempt to privatize Pinnacol through legislative means fell short at the tail end of the session earlier this month, a group backing privatization put all its chips on Initiative 317.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Henne connected on a Hail Mary to Manningham to get Michigan in field goal range with just seconds remaining, but the game-winning attempt was blocked, sending horrified Wolverine fans to the exits and stunning the entire college football world.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 May 2026
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 11 Jun. 2026.
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