grand slam

[ grand slam ]

noun

1. Bridge. the winning of all thirteen tricks of a deal. Compare little slam.
2. Also grand-slammer. Baseball. a home run with three runners on base.
3. Sports. the winning by a single player of several designated major championship contests in one season, as in golf or tennis.
4. any sweeping success or total victory.

grand slam

noun

1. bridge the winning of 13 tricks by one player or side or the contract to do so
2. tennis golf
   1. the winning of all major competitions in a season, esp in tennis and golf
   2. one of the 4 major competitions in a season in tennis
3. often capital rugby Union the winning of all five games in the annual Six Nations Championship involving England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, and Italy Compare triple crown

Word History and Origins

Origin of grand slam¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Idioms and Phrases

A sweeping success or total victory, as in This presentation gave us a grand slam—every buyer placed an order . This term originated in the early 1800s in the card game of whist (forerunner of contract bridge), where it refers to the taking of all thirteen tricks. It later was extended to bridge and various sports, where it has different meanings: in baseball, a home run hit with runners on all the bases, resulting in four runs for the team; in tennis, winning all four national championships in a single calendar year; in golf, winning all four major championships. In the 1990s the term was used for four related proposals presented on a ballot at once.

Example Sentences

And even though the winner of 39 Grand Slam titles is conflicted by the WTA's move into Saudi Arabia, she thinks a female world number one from the Middle East "could influence in a huge way".

From BBC

Luke Littler produced a stunning fightback to beat Mike de Decker 10-9 and reach the Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finals.

From BBC

Prendergast was one of the stars of Ireland's Under-20s Six Nations Grand Slam win in 2023 and also impressed during this year's Emerging Ireland series in South Africa, starting three games at fly-half in the space of the week.

From BBC

Michael van Gerwen failed to make it through to the Grand Slam of Darts last 16 after a 5-4 defeat by Ryan Joyce.

From BBC

The victory marks her third title of a year in which she did not reach a singles Grand Slam final, with her best runs coming at the Australian Open and on the Roland Garros clay, when she was eliminated in the semi-finals.

From BBC

Related Words

• accomplishment
• achievement
• advance
• benefit
• boom
• fame
• gain
• happiness
• profit
• progress
• prosperity
• realization
• triumph
• victory
• win