sure thing

noun

: one that is certain to succeed : a sure bet

Examples of sure thing in a Sentence

he's a sure thing for the promotion: he's the most qualified candidate by far
Recent Examples on the Web The mystery stock could be revealed at the annual meeting if Berkshire is done acquiring its stake, but that is no sure thing. Bill Stone, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 There are no sure things this season, and particularly not with a Chargers team that gets wobbly down the stretch. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2023 Such a victory is no sure thing, given that Whatley lost out to the current RNC co-chair, Drew McKissick, when the two ran for that role last year -- but now, Whatley could be supported by the party's presumptive nominee, who is given a particularly large amount of deference in a presidential year. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 7 Feb. 2024 On a risk-to-reward basis, low-budget horror is the only sure thing in the film business these days. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 3 Jan. 2024 Jennifer Coolidge is the only sure thing to defy it. Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2023 The Packers still had an outside chance to get into the playoffs with a loss, but this was the sure thing, and Green Bay wound up beating the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs to reach the NFC title game. Journal Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2024 That, at least, is one sure thing, in a film whose intriguing ideas are made stale and unsatisfying by their dull and dutiful delivery. Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 2 Jan. 2024 Better to leave the money compounding in a relatively sure thing. Matt Schifrin, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sure thing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1767, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sure thing was in 1767

Dictionary Entries Near sure thing

Cite this Entry

“Sure thing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sure%20thing. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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