Hail Mary

[heyl mer-ee, mair-ee] / ˈheɪl ˈmɛr i, ˈmɛər i /

NOUN

last-ditch effort

Synonyms

WEAK

Ave Maria Hail Mary pass Hail Mary play ave last-minute pass

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Now it was time for a Hail Mary.

From The Wall Street Journal

Tossing a lifeline to embattled President Javier Milei before Argentina’s midterm election in October looked like the financial equivalent of a Hail Mary football pass.

From Barron's

Instead of dropping out, though, he opted for a debate Hail Mary.

From The Wall Street Journal

And when a Hail Mary attempt by Mahomes on the final play fell incomplete, Allen and the Bills had escaped with a 28-21 victory.

From The Wall Street Journal

Absent a Hail Mary, Glenn County’s only hospital is set to close its doors in October.

From Los Angeles Times