hit the jackpot

Idioms  

1. Be highly successful, especially unexpectedly; win, especially a lot of money. For example, She hit the jackpot at the auction; that platter turned out to be genuine Meissen. This term comes from a form of poker in which a hand can be opened only if one holds at least a pair of jacks (or higher). Often a number of hands must be dealt before anyone can open, and since players must put in money for each round, the jackpot, or total amount held, is apt to be quite large. [Early 1900s]

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Example Sentences

It wasn’t long after their final interview, held over dinner at Spago in Beverly Hills, that Kroenke understood he’d hit the jackpot.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Southern California’s latest lottery winner hit the jackpot in Arleta, where a Powerball ticket worth $207 million was sold at a 7-Eleven on Woodman Avenue.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2025

The Aztecs’ bruising forward continued to hit the jackpot in the following days.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 22, 2023

But by the time Justin Bieber waved the checkered flag on Formula 1’s return to Las Vegas, the $500 million Sin City gamble had hit the jackpot.

From Washington Times • Nov. 19, 2023

Nesting usually occurred between February and July, but fledglings had been observed in dens as late as October Systematically, Roy scrolled down the search items one by one until he finally hit the jackpot.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen