sure-fire

Definition

Guaranteed to work or happen.

Etymology

From sure + fire, originally used to denote the efficacy of firearms (rifles) to fire.

Example Sentences

• "That hat should be a sure-fire way to spot him in a crowd."
• "[…] just as he knew that showing up for lunch with a brown bag full of dried squirrel jerky and mushrooms and lemongrass was a surefire way to end up social roadkill in the high school hierarchy, […]"
• "There certainly looks to be a whole clutch of sure-fire winners among the 11 promised new productions."

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