hit/strike pay dirt

idiom

chiefly US, informal

: to do, find, or get something that results in money or success

The band hit pay dirt with their first single.

The police struck pay dirt when a witness came forward with new information.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

First, the Hugh Jackman miracle (which opened with $8.8 million over Fri-Sun and $13.5 million over Wed-Sun) bled right into Christmas and hit pay dirt when kids were out of school and adults were mostly off work during the holidays. —Scott Mendelson, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2021

One perhaps surprising player who hasn’t hit pay dirt yet is tight end George Kittle, who has 15 catches and no TDs. —Mark Heim | [e-mail], al, 3 Oct. 2021

Before its pioneering messenger RNA technology hit pay dirt, Moderna rewarded its executives and co-founders with generous helpings of stock. —Daniel Gilbert, Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2023

But Alp operatives hit pay dirt by combing through Arabic-language posts from Khalifa’s personal Facebook account. —David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023

Alaska was one of the fastest-growing states long before drillers hit pay dirt in America’s greatest oil field, Prudhoe Bay, in 1968. —Andrew Van Dam, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Mar. 2023

If the Bulldogs play a little better, and the Auburn offense continues to turn over the ball at this rate — 12 in five games — the Georgia offense won’t have to travel far to hit pay dirt. —Joseph Goodman | [e-mail], al, 6 Oct. 2022

On their return to Manchester, the Ting Tings decided to give music another shot and hit pay dirt almost immediately. —Mike Wass, Variety, 14 Feb. 2022

The need to protect network security is certainly urgent; every day that passes without an effective solution is another day of opportunity for attackers to hit pay dirt. —Carlos Morales, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2022

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