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Definitions

golden goose

NOUN
cash cow
Synonyms
STRONGEST
moneymaker
WEAK
angel backer grubstaker meal ticket money-spinner patron source of steady profit staker
NOUN
gold mine
Synonyms
WEAK
Eldorado Golconda bonanza cash cow goose that laid the golden egg gravy train license to print money mother lode rich lode source of supply vein very profitable venture

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.

It was a terrible time for the Ivy League’s golden goose to stop laying eggs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026

But OpenAI’s golden goose is not selling fancy coding software to businesses.

From Slate • Feb. 10, 2026

He is wildly popular both stateside and abroad, a commercial golden goose who is critically acclaimed and commands legions of ardent fans.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

“Despite the state’s national reputation as ‘Scandinavia by the Sea,’ there remains a strong anti-tax impulse among voters who often reject tax increases and are loath to kill the state’s golden goose of tech entrepreneurship.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2026

“Wasn’t the golden goose locked up in a cage?”

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.