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free throw
noun
: an unhindered shot in basketball made from behind a set line and awarded because of a foul by an opponent
Examples of free throw in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The good news for the Heat is Butler went back on the court to shoot the two free throws and remained in the game.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
The Houston Rockets’ big man showed Los Angeles Clippers fans some real Southern hospitality by intentionally missing two free throws and triggering a Chick-fil-A promotion Sunday.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2024
During the team’s 104-91 defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, the Celtics became the first team in NBA history to shoot zero free throws in a game.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson each shot more free throws than Sacramento as a team, and then the Kings got a tough break with the no-call on Jones, who would have been given two free throws and a chance to take to the lead.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 8 Apr. 2024
His 263 baskets, 226 free throws, 308 free throw attempts and 1,121 combined points, rebounds and assists are all SDSU records as well.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2024
Demetre had a clutch 3-pointer to tie the score in the fourth quarter and then hit the 3-point shot that put the game away in the final minute of overtime to go along with a pair of free throws.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024
And computer analytics crunched over an 82-game season that insist the most efficient shots are 3s, layups and free throws — and not back-to-the-basket, pound-it-inside, muscle-it-up 2s.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2024
But Turner made both free throws to give the Pacers a four-point lead with 17.1 seconds left.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'free throw.' 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
1891, in the meaning defined above
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Dictionary Entries Near free throw
Cite this Entry
“Free throw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20throw. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Kids Definition
free throw
noun
: a basketball shot worth one point that must be made from behind a specific line and is given because of a foul by an opponent
More from Merriam-Webster on free throw
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about free throw
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