bingo card

American

noun

a prepaid postcard inserted in a magazine by its publisher to enable a reader to order free information about advertised products.

Etymology

Origin of bingo card

First recorded in 1985–90; so called from the series of coded numbers on such cards, apparently suggesting the cards used in bingo

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.

“I don’t think anybody had that on their bingo card coming into 2026,” said Stephen Hoedt, head of equities at Key Private Bank.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

It spawned hundreds of thousands of warehouse and delivery jobs—the largest pockets of internet‑driven job growth, and yet few had them on their 1998 bingo card.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025

Mrs Johnson, 37, wrote in an Instagram post alongside the photo: "Being hospitalised for two nights for severe dehydration was not on my postpartum bingo card."

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2025

I don’t think anyone had that on their mainstream-media bingo card.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2025

Audrey put another token on her bingo card.

From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023