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Synonyms

just the ticket

Idioms  

  1. Also, that's the ticket. Exactly what is needed; exactly right. For example, This van is just the ticket for carrying all our luggage, or That's the ticket—you're handling that chain saw very well. The second phrase dates from the early 1800s, and the first is slightly newer. The exact allusion is disputed—it could be to a winning lottery ticket, a price tag for merchandise, or, as one writer suggests, a corruption of the French word etiquette for “appropriate behavior.” For a synonym, see way to go.

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.

That seems just the ticket these days, whether you’re a company or a country.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

A day of retail therapy can be just the ticket for some people to help them feel better about themselves.

From BBC • Jul. 29, 2025

But if you like the idea of a knockout side dish with a certain savory je ne sais quoi, this is just the ticket.

From Salon • Nov. 3, 2022

In those cases, this folding saw is just the ticket.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 2, 2022

"Capital!" cried two or three of the conclave; "that's just the ticket, Ned!"

From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 11 by Wilson, John Mackay

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.