fast break

noun

: a quick offensive drive toward a goal (as in basketball) in an attempt to score before the opponent's defense is set up
fast-break intransitive verb

Examples of fast break in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On a quick series of possessions, Plum drained a three, found Wilson for a fast break lay-up and then hit a second three to chop the French lead down. Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 11 Aug. 2024 Transition offense powered the dominant start with Stewart’s first bucket coming off a steal and assist from Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young, and Team USA finished outscoring Australia on the fast break 26-9. Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2024 In the men’s match between France and Egypt, Dika Mem, the French’s best attacker, sped down for a one-man fast break and blasted a 108 km/h shot past goalkeeper Mohammed Aly. Candace Buckner, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2024 The ever-present four-time NBA champion seemed to always be on the verge of breaking out of the US backcourt on the fast break, exemplified by a tough, contested layup in the third quarter, in which the Los Angeles Lakers star powered through a Serb defender for a bucket. Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 28 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for fast break 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fast break.' 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

1929, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fast break was in 1929

Dictionary Entries Near fast break

Cite this Entry

“Fast break.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fast%20break. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on fast break

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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