1
a
: 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
Synonyms
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
The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are one in 292.2 million, according to the lottery.
—
USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
What to know about Powerball To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
Oregon has had five previous Powerball jackpot winners, including two families who shared a $340 million prize in 2005.
—Claire Rush, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
Powerball Past:Has anyone in Arizona ever won the Powerball jackpot?
—The Arizona Republic, 9 Apr. 2024
Saturday’s Cash 5 jackpot was $120,000, according to the Cash 5 game page.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2024
The most recent Powerball jackpot, for $842.4 million, was won on Jan. 1 by a ticket holder in Michigan.
—Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
For an additional $1, players can add the Megaplier to potentially increase their winnings outside of the jackpot.
—Keisha Rowe, The Courier-Journal, 5 Apr. 2024
Powerball 2024 drawing jackpot winners Here is the list of 2024 Powerball jackpot wins, according to powerball.com:
$842.4 million — Jan. 1; Michigan.
—Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2024
USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
What to know about Powerball To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
Oregon has had five previous Powerball jackpot winners, including two families who shared a $340 million prize in 2005.
—Claire Rush, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
Powerball Past:Has anyone in Arizona ever won the Powerball jackpot?
—The Arizona Republic, 9 Apr. 2024
Saturday’s Cash 5 jackpot was $120,000, according to the Cash 5 game page.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2024
The most recent Powerball jackpot, for $842.4 million, was won on Jan. 1 by a ticket holder in Michigan.
—Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
For an additional $1, players can add the Megaplier to potentially increase their winnings outside of the jackpot.
—Keisha Rowe, The Courier-Journal, 5 Apr. 2024
Powerball 2024 drawing jackpot winners Here is the list of 2024 Powerball jackpot wins, according to powerball.com:
$842.4 million — Jan. 1; Michigan.
—Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jackpot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near jackpot
Cite this Entry
“Jackpot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jackpot. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jackpot
noun
jack·pot
ˈjak-ˌpät 
1
: a large poker pot formed by the accumulation of stakes from previous play
2
a
: a combination on a slot machine that wins a top prize or all the coins in the machine
b
: the sum so won
3
: a great often unexpected success or reward
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