surefire

[shoor-fahy^uhr, shur-]

adjective

1. sure to work; foolproof.

   a surefire moneymaking scheme.

Word History and Origins

Origin of surefire¹

First recorded in 1915–20; sure + fire

Example Sentences

That singular focus has made him the most reliable receiver in college football and, come April, a surefire first-round NFL draft pick, all while somehow maintaining a strikingly low profile for a pass catcher of his caliber.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

‘It Was Just an Accident’ and ‘Sentimental Value’ are now surefire Oscar contenders — as is one former winner the Cannes jury overlooked.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This week's trial of three undercover operatives, accused of helping the Kremlin to wage a hybrid warfare campaign to "destabilise" France, sounds like a surefire recipe for drama, sophistication, and intrigue.

Read more on BBC

Vice President JD Vance, in a speech to the Munich Security Conference in February, slammed European governments for blocking popular parties from power, calling it a “surefire way to destroy democracy.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

If you listen to financial markets, the U.S. is on a surefire path of accelerating productivity growth.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• foolproof