Meanings
plural full-court presses · alternative full court press
- ball gamesA coordinated maneuver, involving all team members, to block or interfere with the opposing team's attempt to advance the ball down the playing court, so as to force a turnover or backcourt violation.
Synonyms: all-court press
- broadlyfigurativelyA thorough, collaborative effort to overcome or constrain another person or group, especially a rival or opponent.
The White House has been engaged in a full court press to prevent other Republican senators from voting for any one of these amendments.
2007 July 10, Jay Newton-Small, “Can Bush Save the Surge?”, in TIME, archived from the original on 24 Nov 2008Synonyms: all-court press
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA coordinated maneuver, involving all team members, to block or interfere with the opposing team's attempt to advance the ball down the playing court, so as to force a turnover or backcourt violation.
nounA thorough, collaborative effort to overcome or constrain another person or group, especially a rival or opponent.
Cite this entry
full-court press. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/full-court%20press
“full-court press.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/full-court%20press. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “full-court press,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/full-court%20press.
Source: full-court press on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.