meal ticket

noun

: one that serves as the ultimate source of one's income

an advanced degree was his meal ticket

Examples of meal ticket in a Sentence

a star player who is expected to be the team's meal ticket for many years An advanced degree was his meal ticket. We bought three meal tickets at the fair.

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Macrinus owns gladiators and sees Lucius as the meal ticket for his greater plans. —

Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024 Music was his escape, and eventually, his meal ticket, getting his start as a trumpet player in bands for Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, and other Chicago greats. —

Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 4 Nov. 2024 Ya-Ya raises an eyebrow and tells her, so Eve races to a graveyard in the middle of the pouring rain, looking for help so her meal ticket doesn’t cash out on her. —

Erin Qualey, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2024 The musical grinds to a halt whenever Norma is offstage and a chorus of showbiz wannabes, clad in cargo pants and hoodies, scavenge for their next meal ticket. —

Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for meal ticket