full-court press

noun

ˈfu̇l-ˈkȯrt- 

1

: a press employed in basketball on both halves of the court

2

: an all-out effort or offensive

Examples of full-court press in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The opening quarter was a physical battle, as both schools utilized the full-court press. —Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 10 Mar. 2026

Desperate to make a comeback, TCU went to a rare full-court press to try and steal some extra possessions. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Mar. 2026

Facing the infamous San Diego State full-court press as the Aztecs tried to storm back from a 21-point deficit, junior forward Drew Fielder brought down a rebound and wasn’t fazed. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 4 Mar. 2026

The Celts continued to feast on the offensive boards and their full-court press created some trouble for the Lancers, leading to Crespi’s 44-29 lead at halftime. —Justin Vigil Zuniga, Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for full-court press

• abs
• acquiesce
• ancestress
• authoress
• coalesce
• decompress
• dispossess
• faithfulness
• letterpress
• mayoress
• murderess
• nonetheless