meal ticket
noun
: one that serves as the ultimate source of one's income
an advanced degree was his meal ticket
Examples of meal ticket in a Sentence
a star player who is expected to be the team's meal ticket for many years
An advanced degree was his meal ticket.
We bought three meal tickets at the fair.
Recent Examples on the Web
There were hints of potential trouble — he was often said to be drunk on camera — but few dared to mess with their meal tickets, so to speak.
—
Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
He is accompanied by a coyote guide — an ally and antagonist — who regards Pancho first as a meal ticket and, later, as a potential meal.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Jan. 2026
But Kay is just one of our boy’s many potential meal tickets.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 1 Dec. 2025
With yet another ironclad prenup on our hands, Liberty tells Sheila that the $40 million in jewelry her husband gifted her over the years will be her meal ticket.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meal ticket
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Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
He is accompanied by a coyote guide — an ally and antagonist — who regards Pancho first as a meal ticket and, later, as a potential meal.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Jan. 2026
But Kay is just one of our boy’s many potential meal tickets.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 1 Dec. 2025
With yet another ironclad prenup on our hands, Liberty tells Sheila that the $40 million in jewelry her husband gifted her over the years will be her meal ticket.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meal ticket
Cite this Entry
“Meal ticket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meal%20ticket. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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