as in fortune
a very large amount of money
that enormous diamond ring must have cost a king's ransom
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Recent Examples of king's ransom
While the Cowboys might be entertaining trade offers, Jones is likely to seek a king's ransom to part with Parsons.
—
Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
The king's ransom paid Apple for Google search priority has been called into question due to the government's antitrust case against Alphabet .
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2025
Williams is such a talented prospect that experts are saying the Bears should not trade the first overall pick for a king's ransom.
—Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024
What king's ransom would the price of entry be if the trumpeters all make a ‘living wage’ for a temporary job best filled by college students?
—Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 17 Feb. 2023
But a king's ransom awaits you with A Royal Corgi Christmas (Hallmark, Nov. 25), where a prince who's about to assume the throne gifts his mother a rambunctious corgi named Mistletoe, who's in desperate need of a trainer.
—Dan Snierson, EW.com, 22 Nov. 2022
Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
The king's ransom paid Apple for Google search priority has been called into question due to the government's antitrust case against Alphabet .
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2025
Williams is such a talented prospect that experts are saying the Bears should not trade the first overall pick for a king's ransom.
—Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024
What king's ransom would the price of entry be if the trumpeters all make a ‘living wage’ for a temporary job best filled by college students?
—Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 17 Feb. 2023
But a king's ransom awaits you with A Royal Corgi Christmas (Hallmark, Nov. 25), where a prince who's about to assume the throne gifts his mother a rambunctious corgi named Mistletoe, who's in desperate need of a trainer.
—Dan Snierson, EW.com, 22 Nov. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for king's ransom
Noun
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That can change quickly with good fortune and rapid development, but that’s just not something that can be forecast going into the 2025-26 season.—
The Athletic NHL,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The writer has even used her personal funds (a fortune largely amassed via Harry Potter) to create an organization dedicated to offering legal funding for cis women trying to sue trans people, in addition to frequently publishing anti-trans screeds on social media.—
James Factora,
Them.,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The new Serena & Lily Belvedere bedding bundle may be a splurge, but one that certainly falls into trousseau-worthy category.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Valerie posted the news on the page, sharing their elation about their baking bundle of joy via a video of her pregnancies over the years.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Vibrant oranges, milky mints, bright blues, and muted peaches from the album cover mingle well with golds and silvers, high-shine gloss, glitter, ombré, and aura fades.—
Abby Dupes,
Allure,
26 Sep. 2025
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Following the success of its Strawberry Smile collaboration with Sanrio, Moon is teaming up again with Hello Kitty to launch a mint and chocolate-flavored collection, featuring a few of the beauty brand’s bestselling essentials, such as the whitening pen duo and toothpaste.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Doing so requires training, followed by medical exams and piles of forms, and involves a lot of work, planning, and money.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Per city guidance, leave a one-foot gap between the curb and the leaf piles to avoid blocking storm drains and ensure all leaves can be picked up.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Here, in the middle of the descending theater floor and surrounded by an intimate circle of seated spectators, Jelinek manipulated the high, rounded pitches of a modular synthesizer to resemble the whistle of a dropping bomb.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
22 Sep. 2025
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Then Bufford followed with a three-run bomb to put the Ballers up 8-0.—
Devin Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“King's ransom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/king%27s%20ransom. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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