wild card

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.

But the supreme being and patron of all pontiffs has to be considered a wild card.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

Fabio Cannavaro: Perhaps a wild card but what better way to attempt to restore a feel-good factor to Italian football than appoint a national legend.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

“Gas prices are the wild card for consumers because they act like a fast-moving tax on household budgets,” said Kenwell.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The wild card is air travel demand as U.S. and global economies absorb significantly higher energy prices, they wrote.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Beside them they felt the hole that Izzy, the freshman, the black sheep, the wild card, had left behind—though they were still certain, all of them, that this hole would be temporary.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng