full-court press

[ fool-kawrt, -kohrt ]

noun

1. Basketball. a tactic of harassing, close-guarding defense in which the team without the ball pressures the opponent man-to-man the entire length of the court in order to disrupt dribbling or passing and force a turnover:

   Suddenly behind by eighteen points, they went to a full-court press.

2. a vigorous attack or offensive.

full-court press

noun

1. basketball the tactic of harrying the opposing team in all areas of the court, as opposed to the more usual practice of trying to defend one's own basket

Idioms and Phrases

An all-out effort to exert pressure. For example, She'd learned over the years how to deliver a full-court press of guilt . The term alludes to a basketball tactic in which the defenders put pressure on the opposing team over the entire court, trying to disrupt their dribbling and passing. [Late 1900s]

Example Sentences

The remaining five weeks of Harris’ campaign should be “a full court press to establish her economic credentials,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

Overall, these political performances and previous actions by Trump’s minions represent a full court press on our legal system and balance of powers.

From Salon

The decision makers for the docuseries “Full Court Press” chose wisely when selecting which women’s college basketball players they would follow for an entire season.

From New York Times

In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, we return to Washington DC and our Full Court Press live show at Sixth and I, where Mark and Dahlia were joined by Congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia’s 4th District.

From Slate

This live show is part of Slate’s Full Court Press coverage, a provocation for the fourth estate to hold the third branch of government to account.

From Slate

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