Hail Mary
noun
plural Hail Marys
1
: a Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary that consists of salutations and a plea for her intercession
2
or less commonly Hail Mary pass
: a long forward pass in football thrown into or near the end zone in a last-ditch attempt to score as time runs out
—often used figuratively
The only potential cure is a stem-cell transplant, when you take somebody else's immune system and put it into yours. But right now that's kind of a Hail Mary pass.—
Douglas Cote, quoted in Bicycling
Douglas Cote, quoted in BicyclingExamples of Hail Mary in a Sentence
He threw up a Hail Mary at the end of the first half.
Recent Examples on the Web
These films include The Running Man, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, How to Train Your Dragon, Project Hail Mary, and Jurassic World Rebirth.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Feb. 2025
Daniels’ incredible Hail Mary pass to beat the Chicago Bears as time expired earlier in the season also won the award for Moment of the Year.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025
Will one of the strugglers, particularly Leicester City or Ipswich Town, look for a Hail Mary signing following damaging defeats against theoretical relegation-scrap rivals in Everton and Southampton respectively?
—Nick Miller, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
However, hosting a crowd in your home for the big game may come with more stress than a last-second Hail Mary!
—Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for Hail Mary 
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Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Feb. 2025
Daniels’ incredible Hail Mary pass to beat the Chicago Bears as time expired earlier in the season also won the award for Moment of the Year.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025
Will one of the strugglers, particularly Leicester City or Ipswich Town, look for a Hail Mary signing following damaging defeats against theoretical relegation-scrap rivals in Everton and Southampton respectively?
—Nick Miller, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
However, hosting a crowd in your home for the big game may come with more stress than a last-second Hail Mary!
—Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for Hail Mary
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Cite this Entry
“Hail Mary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hail%20Mary. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
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