How to Use a sure thing in a Sentence

a sure thing

noun
Definition of a sure thingnext
  • Four seems like a sure thing and five is probably likely.
    — Marc Weiszer, The Tennessean, 17 Sep. 2024
  • While never a sure thing and open to degrees of objection, that session in six weeks will more than likely be the end of this case.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2024
  • The Mountain West would be a one-bid conference, but that’s only a sure thing if Boise State wins.
    — Eddie Pells, Baltimore Sun, 26 Nov. 2024
  • With climate change, abundant fall and winter rains are no longer a sure thing, so watering during the colder months may still be necessary, especially with trees.
    — Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Dec. 2024
  • Pool was to open this summer That the pool would be open by now seemed a sure thing last June.
    — Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 2 July 2024
  • Getting those kinds of returns in the future isn’t a sure thing.
    — Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2024
  • Even getting into the World Cup, as the three islands did, is not a sure thing.
    — Victor Mather, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023
  • As a first-time offender, jail time isn’t a sure thing.
    — Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2024
  • The bottom line: Odds aren't oracular — even a 99% chance is not a sure thing.
    — Nathan Bomey, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024
  • Still not a sure thing, with better odds of more consistent rain to the east and northeast.
    — Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2023
  • Marissa and Ramses went from a sure thing to a terrible breakup in the last batch of Love is Blind episodes.
    — Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 24 Oct. 2024
  • Rare is the business that allows a sure thing to be brought to market by someone else.
    — John Tamny, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
  • But what seems like a sure thing quickly spirals out of control.
    — Keely Weiss, Harper's BAZAAR, 14 June 2023
  • If cash transfers represent such a sure thing, then why has no one tried them?
    — Mark Blyth, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2014
  • Image In a world full of grave uncertainty, here was a sure thing.
    — Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 2 June 2024
  • However, this Goldilocks outcome is far from a sure thing.
    — Bill Stone, Forbes, 8 Sep. 2024
  • Despite Hall-Long's troubles, though, Meyer is not a sure thing to defeat her.
    — Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2024
  • That would bump Micah Abernathy up to the 53-man roster (if no other team picks up Abernathy, which is not a sure thing).
    — Josh Kendall, The Athletic, 24 Aug. 2024
  • An effective ban — which, again, is not a sure thing even if the bill becomes law — would mean at least three things for content creators.
    — Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
  • In other words, the strategy that Live Nation saw fit to employ in years past was seen by investors as much less than a sure thing.
    — John Tamny, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
  • Any deal that includes the potential for more money based on subscriptions is not a sure thing.
    — Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 Aug. 2023
  • That Vineyard Wind 1 would be constructed at all has not always been a sure thing either.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 2 Aug. 2023
  • Mars’ clash with Neptune makes speculation seem like a sure thing.
    — USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2024
  • Only one closer — left-hander Josh Hader — seems a sure thing.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2023
  • But repealing the near-total ban on abortions isn't a sure thing, even with newfound GOP support.
    — Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
  • Both races are in states that tend to send Democrats to Washington, although in this environment nothing is a sure thing.
    — Philip Elliott, TIME, 31 July 2024
  • But that does not mean Biden’s industrial strategy is a sure thing.
    — Josh Boak, Fortune, 26 May 2024
  • Biden looking like less than a sure thing against Trump has been a persistent source of unease among Democrats and liberal pundits.
    — W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 27 June 2024
  • If Fried returns to form and the other starters stay healthy — neither a sure thing — the Braves still could be a difficult postseason opponent.
    — Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 16 Aug. 2024
  • And even with all those variables lined up, rapid intensification isn’t a sure thing.
    — Matt Simon, WIRED, 8 Sep. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a sure thing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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