1
a
: the top prize in a game or contest (such as a lottery) that is typically a large fund of money formed by the accumulation of unwon prizes
b(1)
: a hand or game of draw poker in which a pair of jacks or better is required to open
(2)
: a large pot (as in poker) formed by the accumulation of stakes from previous play
c(1)
: a combination on a slot machine that wins a top prize or all the coins available for paying out
(2)
: the sum so won
2
: an impressive often unexpected success or reward
3
chiefly Western US
: a tight spot : jam
Synonyms
Examples of jackpot in a Sentence
The lottery jackpot is up to one million dollars.
a wily dude who managed to get himself out of one jackpot after another
Recent Examples on the Web
The next opportunity to win the Mega Millions jackpot is Friday, April 26.
—
The Arizona Republic, 24 Apr. 2024
Willis made sure to increase the jackpot with his own money to make the reward that much greater.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024
The Powerball jackpot is now over $100 million after there was no winner for the grand prize in Saturday's drawing.
—USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
The following Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots made the Top 10 biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history, as of April 26, 2024.
10.
—Steven Martinez, Journal Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2024
No one matched all six numbers to win the Powerball jackpot.
—Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Apr. 2024
The jackpot stands at $115 million ($53.1 million cash value).
—Amy Huschka, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
There were no jackpot or Match 5 winners for Saturday's drawing.
—Keisha Rowe, The Courier-Journal, 15 Apr. 2024
The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are one in 292.2 million, according to the lottery.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
The Arizona Republic, 24 Apr. 2024
Willis made sure to increase the jackpot with his own money to make the reward that much greater.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024
The Powerball jackpot is now over $100 million after there was no winner for the grand prize in Saturday's drawing.
—USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
The following Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots made the Top 10 biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history, as of April 26, 2024.
10.
—Steven Martinez, Journal Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2024
No one matched all six numbers to win the Powerball jackpot.
—Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Apr. 2024
The jackpot stands at $115 million ($53.1 million cash value).
—Amy Huschka, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
There were no jackpot or Match 5 winners for Saturday's drawing.
—Keisha Rowe, The Courier-Journal, 15 Apr. 2024
The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are one in 292.2 million, according to the lottery.
—USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jackpot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near jackpot
Cite this Entry
“Jackpot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jackpot. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jackpot
noun
jack·pot
ˈjak-ˌpät 
1
: a large poker pot formed by the accumulation of stakes from previous play
2
a
: a combination on a slot machine that wins a top prize or all the coins in the machine
b
: the sum so won
3
: a great often unexpected success or reward
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