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 opening weekend for Amazon MGM's "Project Hail Mary" logged a healthy $81 million, and was followed up by "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" with $131 million.

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

We have to know by heart all the prayers, the Hail Mary, the Our Father, the Confiteor, the Apostles’ Creed, the Act of Contrition, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt