body slam

noun

variants or less commonly body-slam
plural body slams also body-slams
: a wrestling throw in which the opponent's body is lifted and brought down hard to the mat
Showing immense strength, Halsey threw his 185-pound opponent on his back a couple of times, setting up his submission with a body slam that drew a gasp from the crowd.John Spencer, Mansfield (Ohio) News Journal, 20 Nov. 2012
sometimes used figuratively
Rebuilding is part of the American spirit. We are not a nation of quitters who turn and run after Mother Nature delivers a body slam.editorial, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11 Sept. 2005
… the overall markets, which have taken a full-bore postelection body slam in recent days, starting with the Dow plunging more than 300 points the day following President Barack Obama's victory at the polls.Patrick May, Contra Costa Times (California), 15 Nov. 2012
body-slam transitive verb
body-slammed; body-slamming; body-slams
… a game that saw linebacker James Harrison body-slam a Browns fan who ran onto the field. Paul Zimmerman, Sports Illustrated, 15 Sept. 2008

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of body slam was in 1899

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Dictionary Entries Near body slam

Cite this Entry

“Body slam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body%20slam. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

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