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
For under $100, this classic-but-better bag is a slam dunk.
—
Annie Blackman, InStyle, 11 Jan. 2026
The six-time NBA All-Star and 2018 Sam Dunk Contest champion Mitchell also got up for some nasty slam dunks, inspired by his partner.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 26 Dec. 2025
Multi-Styler is a last-minute gift that’s destined to be a slam dunk.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 18 Dec. 2025
Worn early in his career, the Air Jordan 3 was famously laced up by Michael Jordan during the 1988 NBA slam dunk contest.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slam dunk
Annie Blackman, InStyle, 11 Jan. 2026
The six-time NBA All-Star and 2018 Sam Dunk Contest champion Mitchell also got up for some nasty slam dunks, inspired by his partner.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 26 Dec. 2025
Multi-Styler is a last-minute gift that’s destined to be a slam dunk.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 18 Dec. 2025
Worn early in his career, the Air Jordan 3 was famously laced up by Michael Jordan during the 1988 NBA slam dunk contest.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slam dunk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slam dunk
Noun
-
While the outside world locks into the exhilarating highlights, Johnson drills down on the nuances.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
After turning the lock with his teeth and tongue, Dawson pushes open the front door and walks out into the night.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
From the 2025 tariff regime to general political uncertainty, the only sure thing is that nothing is certain.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Looking back through the records, Warr found that the majority of medalists hadn’t looked like sure things at age 12, even as every lever in the system was tuned to favor those who did.—
Rachel Barr,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If anything, this incident suggests that premature certainty may have extended beyond the officer involved to those who rushed to defend his actions.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
-
This genetic certainty has made the disease especially devastating for families, which may watch the illness unfold in one generation while younger relatives live for years under the shadow of uncertainty about their own future.—
William A. Haseltine,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slam dunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slam%20dunk. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
