wild card
noun
1
: an unknown or unpredictable factor
2
: one picked to fill a leftover playoff or tournament berth after regularly qualifying competitors have all been determined
3
usually wildcard
: a symbol (such as ? or *) used in a keyword database search to represent the presence of zero, one, or more than one unspecified characters
Examples of wild card in a Sentence
The joker is a wild card.
Taxes are the wild card in this election.
The team made it into the play-offs as the wild card.
Recent Examples on the Web
But data centers have entered the picture as a wild card.
—
Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 4 Nov. 2025
The Dolphins raced to a 9-3 start in 2023, but lost a three-game AFC East lead to Buffalo, finished 11-6 and lost 26-7 in frigid conditions in Kansas City in a wild card game.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
Then six teams that has the best record (one from each group), along with two wild cards, moves on to the quarterfinal, and then the semifinals in Las Vegas — which is where the championship game is also held.
—Rudie Obias, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
The Tigers led the American League for much of this past season before a sudden collapse pushed them into a wild card matchup with the rival Cleveland Guardians.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wild card
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Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 4 Nov. 2025
The Dolphins raced to a 9-3 start in 2023, but lost a three-game AFC East lead to Buffalo, finished 11-6 and lost 26-7 in frigid conditions in Kansas City in a wild card game.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
Then six teams that has the best record (one from each group), along with two wild cards, moves on to the quarterfinal, and then the semifinals in Las Vegas — which is where the championship game is also held.
—Rudie Obias, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
The Tigers led the American League for much of this past season before a sudden collapse pushed them into a wild card matchup with the rival Cleveland Guardians.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wild card
Cite this Entry
“Wild card.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wild%20card. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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