Synonyms

pay dirt, hit

Idioms

Also, strike pay dirt. Make a valuable discovery or large profit, as in We've been researching the source of that quotation for a month and we finally hit pay dirt in the Library of Congress. This idiom, from the mid-1800s, refers to a miner's finding gold or other precious metals while sifting soil. By the late 1800s it had been transferred to other lucrative discoveries.

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.

Last year, it attained a valuation of $2.96 billion and recently finished two years of digitizing maps and other documents from the state archives in neighboring Zambia, where it hit pay dirt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Before its pioneering messenger RNA technology hit pay dirt, Moderna rewarded its executives and co-founders with generous helpings of stock.

From Washington Post • Apr. 29, 2023

After all, it looks as though they have hit pay dirt with their rookie class — most notably with tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas and cornerback Tariq Woolen.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 8, 2022

Finally, in November of last year, I hit pay dirt.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2021

He thought he’d hit pay dirt with Grandma.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck

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

pay dirt, hit

Example Sentences

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