full-court press

noun

1
: a press employed in basketball on both halves of the court
2
: an all-out effort or offensive

Examples of full-court press in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Canceling the full-court press to restore the Iran nuclear deal will not be easy for the Biden administration, in part because some of its most senior foreign policy officials were key architects of the original agreement. Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 28 Feb. 2023 Following the first 2024 debate with Trump, Biden launched a full-court press aimed at easing concerns about his candidacy among Democratic power players. Christian Datoc, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 July 2024 Democrats emerging from a closed-door meeting Tuesday to discuss President Biden’s political future offered support for their party leader a day after the White House’s full-court press to beat back critics within his party, even as some detractors pushed for a reset. Mike Lillis, The Hill, 9 July 2024 Against full-court presses, the Eagles trusted the 7-footer to handle the ball. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 3 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for full-court press 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'full-court press.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of full-court press was in 1949

Dictionary Entries Near full-court press

Cite this Entry

“Full-court press.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/full-court%20press. Accessed 30 Sep. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on full-court press

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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