as in certainties
one that is certain to succeed
he's a sure thing for the promotion: he's the most qualified candidate by far
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Recent Examples of sure things
Few sure things in the acting categories Whether those changes will have any effect on some of the night’s closest races remains to be seen.
—
Dallas Morning News, 15 Mar. 2026
There are no sure things for the NHL after him.
—Corey Pronman, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
In the Olympics, there are precious few sure things.
—Rick Maese, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2026
The Yankees, meanwhile, are short on sure things in their bullpen right now.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
Looking back through the records, Warr found that the majority of medalists hadn’t looked like sure things at age 12, even as every lever in the system was tuned to favor those who did.
—Rachel Barr, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Each year, certain movies and awards contenders eventually emerge and sure things for Oscar nominations, others are probable, and another few are battling it out for the final spot on a list of five (or 10 in the case of Best Picture).
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
And while draft picks can rarely be absolute sure things, Booker has been just that through 12 games.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Dec. 2025
But none represent sure things for the Yankees next season, and Peralta is as sure a thing as any team could acquire this winter.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Dallas Morning News, 15 Mar. 2026
There are no sure things for the NHL after him.
—Corey Pronman, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
In the Olympics, there are precious few sure things.
—Rick Maese, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2026
The Yankees, meanwhile, are short on sure things in their bullpen right now.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026
Looking back through the records, Warr found that the majority of medalists hadn’t looked like sure things at age 12, even as every lever in the system was tuned to favor those who did.
—Rachel Barr, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Each year, certain movies and awards contenders eventually emerge and sure things for Oscar nominations, others are probable, and another few are battling it out for the final spot on a list of five (or 10 in the case of Best Picture).
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
And while draft picks can rarely be absolute sure things, Booker has been just that through 12 games.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Dec. 2025
But none represent sure things for the Yankees next season, and Peralta is as sure a thing as any team could acquire this winter.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sure things
Noun
-
March is bursting with sales, shows, slam dunks and everything in between.—
Kasey Caminiti,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
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Ezra Ausar led the Trojans with 21 points, including crucial late slam dunks.—
Sean Campbell,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Of the seven - Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Robinson, Trusty and Tim Weah - only Robinson and Richards seem like locks for serious minutes at defender in the World Cup.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
1 Apr. 2026
-
His wife, Kendra, was arrested for child endangerment and false imprisonment after investigators discovered exterior door locks in their Arkansas home during a separate inquiry.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sure things.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sure%20things. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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