the luck of the draw
noun phrase
—used to say that the result of something cannot be controlled and depends on chance
The weather may be good or bad that day—it all depends on the luck of the draw.
Examples of the luck of the draw in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For many teachers, the structure of the day depends partly on the luck of the draw.
—
Peter Greene,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Imbalanced pathways and the luck of the draw have always existed in international tournaments, but third-place teams advancing throws an extra element of fortune into the draw.
—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Mountain resort areas, by contrast, are leaders in inclusionary zoning, or trying to provide homes that are affordable across a range of incomes, even though that has become an increasingly difficult task, and often involves the luck of the draw, literally via a lottery.
—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
17 June 2026
But that was just the luck of the draw.
—
Fran Moreland Johns,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
Part of this brutal schedule, though, is just the luck of the draw.
—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Jan. 2026
The truly elite teams probably won't be see major changes, but the luck of the draw (literally) could be the difference between an easy path to the trophy or a tricky match early in the knockout stage.
—
Joe Kozlowski,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Dec. 2025
Call it the luck of the draw – literally.
—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Peter Greene,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Imbalanced pathways and the luck of the draw have always existed in international tournaments, but third-place teams advancing throws an extra element of fortune into the draw.
—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Mountain resort areas, by contrast, are leaders in inclusionary zoning, or trying to provide homes that are affordable across a range of incomes, even though that has become an increasingly difficult task, and often involves the luck of the draw, literally via a lottery.
—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
17 June 2026
But that was just the luck of the draw.
—
Fran Moreland Johns,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
Part of this brutal schedule, though, is just the luck of the draw.
—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Jan. 2026
The truly elite teams probably won't be see major changes, but the luck of the draw (literally) could be the difference between an easy path to the trophy or a tricky match early in the knockout stage.
—
Joe Kozlowski,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Dec. 2025
Call it the luck of the draw – literally.
—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“The luck of the draw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20luck%20of%20the%20draw. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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