third time lucky
idiom
British
—used to say that two efforts at something have already failed but perhaps the third will be successful
Examples of third time lucky in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Whether a Hong Kong IPO, as is rumored, will be third time lucky remains to be seen.
—
Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 2 Dec. 2025
So this is third time lucky for the Ashes and Perth Stadium, also known as Optus Stadium due to a 10-year A$50m naming-rights deal.
—Michael Bailey, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
As election strategies go, third time lucky might sound a bit glib.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 2 Dec. 2025
So this is third time lucky for the Ashes and Perth Stadium, also known as Optus Stadium due to a 10-year A$50m naming-rights deal.
—Michael Bailey, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
As election strategies go, third time lucky might sound a bit glib.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Third time lucky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/third%20time%20lucky. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share