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

Fourth place went to Amazon MGM's hit sci-fi adventure comedy "Project Hail Mary," with another $8.6 million.

From Barron's • May 3, 2026

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

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026

“We believe deeply in the Hail Mary, and it’s clear audiences do as well,” Kevin Wilson, head of domestic theatrical distribution for Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

Even though I’m not Catholic, I say a Hail Mary, give Mango his medicine, and then throw in another Hail Mary because I can’t think of anything else.

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass