sure thing
Americannoun
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something that is or is supposed to be a certain success, as a bet or a business venture.
He thinks that real estate is a sure thing.
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something assured; certainty.
It's a sure thing that he'll refuse to cooperate.
interjection
adverb
noun
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a sure thing . A certainty, as in Making the bestseller list has been a sure thing for Stephen King . This usage originally alluded to a bet that one could not lose. [First half of 1800s]
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Yes indeed, certainly, as in Are you coming tonight?—Sure thing! This use of the idiom as an interjection dates from the late 1800s.
Etymology
Origin of sure thing
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40
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.
“It’s a sure thing, which feels better emotionally than attempting something with a 50/50 likelihood. Taking home $65,000 feels better than taking a risk where you go home with zero.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
It seemed a sure thing a few weeks ago that Abdul El-Sayed, the insurgent progressive challenger in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, was leading the race going away.
From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2026
He was no childhood prodigy, no sure thing.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Mauigoa is a sure thing as a Day 1 starter at right tackle and the Dolphins can move Austin Jackson to right guard for a season.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026
Or maybe there’s only one line, but it isn’t a sure thing, solid in its place.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
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.
