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.

“With the last $20,000, as a Hail Mary, we created and launched Subway Takes,” says Kuo, who produces the show.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

The plaintiffs then filed a Hail Mary request with the Supreme Court to intervene before the D.C.

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026

The mustachioed brothers of "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" and Ryan Gosling's unassuming teacher-turned-astronaut in "Project Hail Mary" are civilization-saving heroes in their own worlds.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

“Getting $4 billion for the SV-F route from a speculative financial instrument is just a Hail Mary pass,” a member of the Beverly Grove neighborhood association said in public comments.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Under her breath Juana repeated an ancient magic to guard against such evil, and on top of that she muttered a Hail Mary between clenched teeth.

From "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck