surefire
adjective
sure·fire
ˈshu̇r-ˈfī(-ə)r 
ˈshər-
: certain to get successful or expected results
a surefire recipe
Examples of surefire in a Sentence
The movie is a surefire hit with teenagers.
There is no surefire way to predict the outcome.
Recent Examples on the Web
Flamingo Estate’s gift set is a surefire way to make any gourmand feel loved.
—
Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Mar. 2026
Most of the quality options went quickly in free agency, and that was without much of a list of surefire, major-impact players.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
Going out was no longer a surefire way to meet someone, and the dating apps that emerged within the attention economy didn’t guarantee meaningful connections either.
—Fabio Bin, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2026
Facing a year with the most American measles cases in a generation, the president had suggested that there’s a problem with the only surefire prevention available and told parents to demand shots that don’t exist here.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surefire
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Mar. 2026
Most of the quality options went quickly in free agency, and that was without much of a list of surefire, major-impact players.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
Going out was no longer a surefire way to meet someone, and the dating apps that emerged within the attention economy didn’t guarantee meaningful connections either.
—Fabio Bin, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2026
Facing a year with the most American measles cases in a generation, the president had suggested that there’s a problem with the only surefire prevention available and told parents to demand shots that don’t exist here.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surefire
Cite this Entry
“Surefire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surefire. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
surefire
adjective
sure·fire
ˌshu̇r-ˌfī(ə)r
: certain to get results
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
