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

In the 100 breaststroke, China’s Qin Haiyang successfully claimed back his world title. —Paras J. Haji, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025

China’s male freestyle sprinter Wang Haoyu was tested 13 times, while 200 meter breaststroke world record holder Qin Haiyang was tested 12 times, the report showed. —CNN Money, 14 July 2025

Torrey Pines’ Logan Noguchi won the boys 100 butterfly and breaststroke last year, University City’s Katherine Hazle the girls 500 freestyle two years ago and Eastlake’s Emily Lundgren won the girls 100 breaststroke in 2022. —Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2025

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