triple threat

noun

1. an expert in three different fields or in three different skills in the same field.
2. Football. a back who is proficient at running, passing, and punting:

   The triple threat is a rare find for coaches.

Word History and Origins

Origin of triple threat¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Idioms and Phrases

A person who is adept in three areas, as in She's a triple threat on the editorial staff—she can edit, write, and design pages . This term comes from football, where it signifies a player who is good at running, passing, and kicking. [c. 1920] Also see hat trick .

Example Sentences

Described by blues-rock titan and mentor Buddy Guy as “the next explosion of the blues,” 25-year-old Christone “Kingfish” Ingram has wowed fans and critics alike with his incendiary guitar playing, velvety smooth vocals and expressive songwriting — a veritable triple threat.

From Los Angeles Times

Jackson calls Levesque a “triple threat” of music, screen and stage.

From Los Angeles Times

Sutton Foster, a classic Broadway triple threat beloved for her comedic skills and her big belt, will star this summer and fall in a Broadway revival of “Once Upon a Mattress.”

From New York Times

Forget triple threat, she does it all.

From Salon

His selection at No. 8 proved a stretch, but the dynamic playmaker was a triple threat as a receiver, ball-carrier and kick returner during three Rams seasons in St. Louis under then-coach Jeff Fisher..

From Los Angeles Times