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Glite Dictionary
🏀 To score powerfully 💥 To defeat easily
to slam-dunk

to slam-dunk

1 4.1
To put the ball through the basketball hoop with force using one or both hands
  • verb
  • /slæm dʌŋk/
translation icon : clavar
  • The centerpiece of the exhibit is "Give Me A Hand," which features a six-foot mechanical hand that lifts a ball and slam-dunks it through a hoop.

Examples

  • The player is known for his ability to slam-dunk even from difficult angles.

  • Howard and Bossard have the ability to score points in bunches, while Couch has thrown down several powerful slam dunks this season.

    Blog text (3)

  • Can Michael Jordan slam dunk?

    New Jack City (1991)

  • Pump fake, pump fake, and we gonna slam-dunk.

    HIM (2025)

  • James, a 5'9" sophomore, has increased his vertical leap by three inches and can now slam dunk a basketball.

    Academic text (1991)

  • After a powerful leap, he managed to slam-dunk the basketball into the hoop with both hands.

  • During the game, she executed a flawless slam-dunk that excited the entire crowd.

Synonyms

to dunk
vsto slam-dunk
21 4.9

To push the ball down through the hoop with your hand above the rim

is a stronger, more forceful way of putting the ball through
to posterize
vsto slam-dunk
  • Jargon
1 8.6

To dunk the ball over an opponent in a way that embarrasses them

is a forceful direct score that focuses on power rather than showmanship

Antonyms

miss
73 3.1

A failure to hit or reach a target

How Forceful

to slam-dunk
1 4.1
to dunk
21 4.9
to shoot
299 1.3
tip-in
  • Jargon
1 6.3

Surface Forms

slam-dunk infinitive
slam-dunked past
slam-dunked past participle
slam-dunking present participle
slam-dunks third person singular

Morphology

slam-dunk = slam + dunk (transparent) = slam + dunk

The basketball sense is directly compositional from the forceful ideas in 'slam' and 'dunk'.

Etymology

Slam-dunk comes from basketball, where slam means 'hit hard' and dunk means 'push the ball down through the hoop'. So a slam-dunk is a very powerful and sure score.