fadeaway

1 of 2

noun

fade·​away ˈfād-ə-ˌwā 

plural fadeaways

1

a

: screwball sense 1

b

: a slide in which a base runner throws their body sideways to avoid the tag

c

basketball : a shot made or attempted while moving away from the basket

Rick Fox sank a 12-foot fadeaway with 1:10 left for a 93-91 Lakers lead …

—The New York Times

2

: an act or instance of fading away

fadeaway

2 of 2

adjective

basketball

: made or attempted while moving away from the basket

a fadeaway jump shot

Examples of fadeaway in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Anthony Edwards became the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career points, when the Minnesota Timberwolves star swished a 13-foot fadeaway jumper from the baseline midway through the fourth quarter against Cleveland on Thursday night. —CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026

Mullins made his first three shots, two 3-pointers, to key a 10-6 run at the start of the overtime period before Stewart found Reed for an open layup and Demary stepped back for the fadeaway mid-range shot that sealed it. —Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026

Adjective

Henry came off the bench and hit his first shot of the game, a fadeaway jumper from the baseline, to extend the lead to 15-5. —Dan Arritt, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025

Down four with 15 seconds left, the Valkyries tied the game on two fadeaway baskets by French rookie Janelle Salaün. —Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 15 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1932, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fadeaway

• andromache
• bioassay
• cabriolet
• cercariae
• communique
• companionway
• compositae
• decussate
• examinee
• fabaceae
• glyphosate
• microarray