full-court press

noun

1

: a press employed in basketball on both halves of the court

2

: an all-out effort or offensive

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The Colonels, led by Devontae Blanton's 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, brought out their full-court press and continued their climb back in the second half. Keith Jenkins, The Enquirer, 13 Nov. 2022

Examples abound, ranging from the brutal tactics deployed to prevent the popular progressive congressman Keith Ellison’s election as party chairman in 2017, to the full-court press assembled against Sanders in favor of nominating Biden in 2020. Andrew Cockburn, Harper’s Magazine , 26 Oct. 2022

The full-court press coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s death and funeral, and the unstinting praise of her manner—tirelessly dutiful, with winning human touches—suggests a lingering longing for the old strain of English aristocratic culture. Joseph Epstein, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022

BeReal is currently doing a full-court press on college campuses. Wired, 26 July 2022

The American antiabortion movement is on a full-court press to remake the nation in its image. WIRED, 6 Sep. 2022

This full-court press is by design: part of the plan recommended by Wiktorowski, who previously worked with Agnieszka Radwanska, a former world No. 2 and Wimbledon finalist who retired in 2018. New York Times, 24 May 2022

While the boys overwhelmed the Raiders with offense, the girls smothered their opponents with a suffocating defense that was highlighted by their ferocious full-court press in a 54-39 victory. Josh Reed, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Mar. 2022

After a basket from Chelsie Hall, Louisville got into its full-court press. Cameron Teague Robinson, The Courier-Journal, 3 Mar. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined at sense 1