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

He also showed the ability to score in a variety of other ways, including a layup after breaking the full-court press.

From Los Angeles Times

UCLA’s depth will allow Cronin to unleash more pressure defense, though he said the Bruins would not use an all-out full-court press because he preferred to disguise coverages and attack teams in different ways.

From Los Angeles Times

The sauna and the steam room and the Hall of Champions won’t break a full-court press or bury a shot at the buzzer.

From Seattle Times

Mr. Sunak was expected to have his own call with Mr. Netanyahu on Tuesday, part of a full-court press by European leaders to urge him not to allow the clash with Iran to spiral uncontrollably.

From New York Times

McNeese State applied a full-court press, GU broke it easily and Nolan Hickman hit an open three-pointer.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• adversity
• burden
• constraint
• force
• hardship
• heat
• influence
• power
• strain
• stress
• tension
• trouble
• weight