hit the jackpot

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

Westwick proposed in January, saying he “hit the jackpot” a little more than a year after making their relationship public.

From Los Angeles Times

He soon hit the jackpot after he found a six-carat diamond, which was worth a fortune 50 years ago.

From BBC

We have a superb Super Bowl 58 match-up with the San Francisco 49ers facing the Kansas City Chiefs, but who will hit the jackpot in Las Vegas?

From BBC

Jackson, 31, captioned their high-altitude proposal photo with a “Hell YES 💍,” and Westwick, 36, wrote “I hit the jackpot xxx” on a photo that he reposted to his Instagram story.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Seattle Times