alley-oop

American  

[al-ee-oop] / ˈæl iˈup /

interjection

1. (used as a shout of encouragement, exhortation, or the like, especially when coordinating efforts to lift a heavy object.)

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noun

1. Basketball. a quick-score play in which a high, arching pass is made to a teammate close to the basket, who leaps to catch the ball and in midair drops or stuffs it through the basket.

Etymology

Origin of alley-oop

First recorded in 1915–20; from French allez-hop; allez, imperative of aller “to go” + hop, variant of houp, an interjection of expressive origin; cf. alley ¹ ( def. ), hoopla ( def. )

Explanation

An alley-oop is a collaborative play in basketball, when one player passes the ball and the other jumps, catches, and dunks it before landing back on the court. If your team wants to impress its fans, you should practice perfecting the alley-oop. The offensive move is fun to watch and always surprising, requiring excellent timing and teamwork. Alley-oop comes from the cry of a French circus acrobat, allez hop!. The term was first used in American sports to describe a high pass, catch, and touchdown by the 1950 San Francisco 49ers, but it was soon adopted by basketball players to name the brand new play.

Example Sentences

Wembanyama swished jump shots and soared for alley-oop dunks.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

His first postseason points come in a 26-second flurry that includes a three-pointer and an alley-oop dunk off a pass from his father in Game 3.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

Paul brought “Lob City” to L.A., throwing alley-oop passes to star forward Blake Griffin, who soared through the air to dunk them down.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

St. John Bosco forward Christian Collins slammed an alley-oop dunk to begin the game — enough for half of the Braves’ 4-3 lead by the end of the first quarter.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2024

“The wind blows north," Dad had to shout, “from Normandy, over the Channel, smacks into these cliffs and alley-oop, a thermal updraft! Perfect for kites!"

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell