grand slam

noun

1
baseball : a home run hit with the bases loaded
… the Dodgers' Eric Karros has a shot to become the first player in history to get 200 career home runs without a grand slam.Tim Kurkjian
2
a usually Grand Slam
(1)
: the winning of all four of the most significant championships in a particular sport in the same year
used especially in tennis and golf
… with … Nadal spoiling Federer's bid for the Grand Slam by beating him on the clay at the French Open.Sean Gregory
"And so to St. Andrews to begin the quest for the Grand Slam," he [Bobby Jones] wrote.Dave Anderson
also : the winning of all four such championships during the course of one's career
Woods … could become the youngest player to win the career Grand Slam, at age 24. Clifton Brown
(2)
: one of the championships that comprise a Grand Slam : major entry 2 sense 6
"Last year she was a little hungrier," says Davenport's coach, Robert Van't Hof. "She hadn't won a Grand Slam yet."Diane K. Shah
often used before another noun
a Grand Slam event/tournament
Graf was 17 when she won the first of her 21 Grand Slam titles here in 1987 …Robin Finn
b
: a clean sweep or total success
3
: the winning of all the tricks in one hand of a card game (such as bridge)
Once, looking over Grace's shoulder, I saw her make a grand slam in clubs when the highest trump card in her hand was the nine.William Maxwell

Examples of grand slam in a Sentence

He made a grand slam.
Recent Examples on the Web To secure the grand slam, The Times placed in the top 10 in print portfolio, digital, projects and event coverage. Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Canes pinch-hitter Dorian Gonzalez Jr. hit a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the eighth to narrow UF’s lead to 6-4, but the Gators came right back in the ninth with a 2-run homer by Colby Shelton to make it 8-4. Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024 Eyes will also be on the World Breakthrough of the Year Award, with Real Madrid sensation Jude Bellingham facing competition from the likes of US tennis star Coco Gauff, who celebrated winning her maiden grand slam at the US Open in 2023. Ben Church, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 Babe Ruth cards have been grand slams at auctions before. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2024 Come October, he was awarded the Triple-A championship game’s Most Valuable Player honor after a 455-foot seventh-inning grand slam sealed Norfolk’s win. Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 27 Jan. 2024 The three-time grand slam champion had lost all six of his previous matches stretching back to October 2023, but finally claimed a win by beating France’s Alexandre Muller 6-1 7-6 (7-5) in the Qatar Open first round. Ben Church, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 The 14-year-old freshman at Olathe East hit her first grand slam in the fall. Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024 Dave McNally Dave McNally was on the mound when the Orioles swept the Los Angeles Dodgers for their first world championship in 1966 and hit a grand slam in the 1970 World Series, also won by Baltimore. Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grand slam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of grand slam was in 1800

Dictionary Entries Near grand slam

Cite this Entry

“Grand slam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grand%20slam. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

grand slam

noun
: a home run hit with three runners on base
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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