Annie Oakley

noun

An·nie Oak·ley ˌa-nē-ˈō-klē

plural Annie Oakleys

: a free ticket

Did you know?

Phoebe Anne Oakley Moses (1860-1926) starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, where she astonished the crowds with feats of marksmanship such as shooting the spots out of playing cards. It wasn't long until her audience noticed that the shot-out card looked like a ticket that had been punched by a train conductor. By 1910, the name "Annie Oakley" was not only synonymous with sharp-shooting but with the ticket-playing card connection, and complimentary tickets have been "Annie Oakleys" ever since.

Examples of Annie Oakley in a Sentence

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Betty Hutton as Annie Oakley and Howard Keel as Frank Butler. — Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 3 May 2026 Kay learned to work the bolt and get into shooting position faster than Annie Oakley ever dreamed possible. — Robert V. Broadbent, Outdoor Life, 12 Feb. 2026 The Annie Oakley Where: Bones' Burgers, 9721 Montgomery Road, Montgomery. — Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Jan. 2026 The last-minute Annie Oakley act does not alter that one whit. — The Editors, National Review, 30 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for Annie Oakley

Word History

Etymology

Annie Oakley †1926 American markswoman; from the resemblance of a punched pass to a playing card with bullet holes through the spots

First Known Use

circa 1910, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Annie Oakley was circa 1910

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Anniellidae

Annie Oakley

annie over

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Style

“Annie Oakley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Annie%20Oakley. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Annie Oakley

noun

Did you know?

Examples of Annie Oakley in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

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