jackpot

noun

jack·pot | \ ˈjak-ˌpät

Definition of jackpot

1a : the top prize in a game or contest (such as a lottery) that is typically a large fund of money formed by the accumulation of unwon prizes

b(1) : a hand or game of draw poker in which a pair of jacks or better is required to open

(2) : a large pot (as in poker) formed by the accumulation of stakes from previous play

c(1) : a combination on a slot machine that wins a top prize or all the coins available for paying out

(2) : the sum so won

2 : an impressive often unexpected success or reward

3 chiefly Western US : a tight spot : jam

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Examples of jackpot in a Sentence

The lottery jackpot is up to one million dollars. a wily dude who managed to get himself out of one jackpot after another

Recent Examples on the Web Yet many persistent vaccine seekers hit the jackpot, either on Thursday or in the few preceding days, finding appointments near or far from home, on dates within a few days, or weeks. — Nanette Asimov, Meghan Bobrowsky, San Francisco Chronicle, "Bay Area residents age 50-plus join the hunt for lifesaving vaccinations," 1 Apr. 2021 Wednesday's Powerball drawing offers an estimated $730 million jackpot ($546 million cash option). — Jason Hanna, CNN, "Mega Millions jackpot rises to $970 million with no winners Tuesday," 20 Jan. 2021 The Bucs went 7-9 in his first season, then hit the jackpot in free agency when Brady decided to leave New England. — Fred Goodall, San Francisco Chronicle, "Bucs hope to keep core together to chase another Super Bowl," 8 Feb. 2021 The jackpot was the second-largest prize in the history of Mega Millions. — Maria Cramer, BostonGlobe.com, "$1 billion lottery prize ticket was sold in Michigan," 23 Jan. 2021 The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million, according to lottery officials. — Fox News, "Man wins $500G Powerball prize with numbers from his fortune cookie," 1 Mar. 2021 According to lottery officials, the odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million. — Khadean Coombs, CNN, "Man wins $500,000 Powerball prize with fortune cookie numbers," 28 Feb. 2021 The record is a $3.96 million jackpot, airport spokeswoman Christine Crews said. — Dawn Gilbertson, USA TODAY, "Leaving Las Vegas $300,000 richer: Tourist hits jackpot at airport slot machine," 27 Feb. 2021 The progressive jackpot is linked across Caesars' Nevada properties. — Paul Walsh, Star Tribune, "Twin Cities woman hits poker jackpot in Vegas for $230K," 15 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jackpot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.