slam dunk

noun

Definition of slam dunknext
as in lock
one that is certain to succeed since he was trying his first case, the assistant district attorney was assigned a burglary case that was a slam dunk

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of slam dunk The New York Knicks hold the NBA record for most times that a player has won the slam dunk contest while wearing the Knickerbocker uniform. — Tom Rende, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 In addition to an overtime 3-pointer, Wheeler’s performance was also highlighted by a running slam dunk in the fourth. — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2026 Latin America, Australia/NZ, France, Germany and the UK are the slam dunks for Moana. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 July 2026 This is a slam dunk win for the Kings and a massive loss for the Wild. — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for slam dunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slam dunk
  1. lock
  2. sure thing
  3. certainty
Noun
  • As Li’s Hardy locks eyes with Cage’s Reilly, the editing shifts from noir to music video and everything else fades.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Thanks to the twist-and-lock plate system, each dumbbell provides four weight options from 2–5 pounds.
    — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of lock
Noun
  • But while players such as Hutson — who won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year before signing his contract last fall — had already established themselves as top NHL talents, others now landing these contracts are far from sure things.
    — James Mirtle, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In this season specifically, the friend group needs a little bit of mediation and someone to make sure things are running smoothly, and that’s my job as mother.
    — McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2026
Definition of sure thing
Noun
  • If Waldron’s future role at Goldman Sachs appears to be a near certainty, that’s not the case for the rest of the bank’s C-suite, especially if several top executives depart after being passed over.
    — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The tension between intellectual certainty and its corporeal obverse is the novel’s most interesting possibility, yet its campus plot repeatedly narrows into a question of who deserves our sympathy.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of certainty

Browse Nearby Words

slam-bang
slam dunk
slam dunks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slam dunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slam%20dunk. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All