breaststroke

noun

breast·​stroke ˈbres(t)-ˌstrōk 

: a swimming stroke executed in a prone position by coordinating a kick in which the legs are brought forward with the knees together and the feet are turned outward and whipped back with a glide and a backward sweeping movement of the arms

breaststroker

ˈbres(t)-ˌstrō-kər 

noun

Examples of breaststroke in a Sentence

I'll be competing in the 50-meter breaststroke.

Recent Examples on the Web

Also Saturday, in the women’s 50-meter breaststroke semifinals, world-record holder Ruta Meilutyte took the top qualifying spot for Sunday’s final, followed by China’s Qianting Tang and Italy’s Benedetta Pilato. —Zack Pierce, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2025

McIntosh credited her record-breaking speed for a clean breaststroke leg which gave her a springboard to go for the mark. —Ben Morse, CNN Money, 10 June 2025

Senior Kenneth Devis won the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke for the third year in a row and led off the 4x100 freestyle relay as the Highlanders amassed 473 points to far outdistance runner-up Palisades. —Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025

The 22-year-old with 15 NCAA titles is the American record holder in the 200-meter breaststroke and 50-meter freestyle in long course. —Paras J. Haji, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for breaststroke

• awoke
• baroque
• bespoke
• colloque
• convoke
• evoke
• invoke
• keystroke
• kinfolk
• kinsfolk
• menfolk
• provoke

Kids Definition

breaststroke

noun

breast·​stroke ˈbres(t)-ˌstrōk 

: a swimming stroke performed by extending the arms in front of the head while drawing the knees forward and outward and then sweeping the arms back with palms out while kicking backward and outward