Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to soar above the rim

to soar above the rim

7.7
To jump very high in basketball to dunk the ball
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : saltar por encima del aro
  • In the final seconds, she soared above the rim to secure the game-winning basket.

Examples

  • The crowd cheered as he soared above the rim for a thunderous dunk.

  • Young players dream of one day soaring above the rim on a professional court.

  • He can soar above the rim with ease!

  • Did you see him soar above the rim last night?

  • In the final seconds, she soared above the rim to secure the game-winning basket.

  • The crowd cheered as he soared above the rim for a thunderous dunk.

  • Young players dream of one day soaring above the rim on a professional court.

Synonyms

to catch air
vsto soar above the rim
1 7.9

To jump high into the air while doing a sport or trick

is a basketball jump aimed at scoring by slamming the ball
to soar up
vsto soar above the rim
1 3.8

Rise very quickly to a much higher level

refers to a high athletic jump with scoring intent, not abstract increase
to catch big air
vsto soar above the rim
  • Jargon
6.8

To jump very high in sports like skiing, snowboarding, or skateboarding

is the same idea but specifically for basketball dunk attempts
to soar upwards
vsto soar above the rim
3.4

Rise quickly to a much higher level, for example prices or temperatures

describes a physical basketball leap rather than general rising

Antonyms

to fall
∞ 1.0

Move or drop down from a higher to a lower place

How High

to soar above the rim
  • Informal
7.7
to leap
199 1.0
to jump
∞ 1.0
to hop
133 1.0

Surface Forms

soar above the rim infinitive
soared above the rim past
soared above the rim past participle
soaring above the rim present participle
soars above the rim third person singular

Morphology

soar + above + the + rim

The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'soar' (move through the air) + 'above' (higher than) + 'rim' (the basketball hoop ring) yields the image of jumping high over the rim. This literal spatial/motion composition follows common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the words should understand the phrase.

Etymology

The phrase soar above the rim paints a sports picture: soar means to fly up, above means higher than, and rim is the edge of the basketball hoop. It comes from watching players jump so high they seem to fly over the hoop and 'dunk' the ball, so it means 'to jump very high to score'.