First recorded in 1945–50
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Gators like to get out in the fast break, but Iowa countered with a snail-paced offense style of any team in the nation this season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
It began with Ayton getting the defensive rebound and passing the ball to James, who then whipped the ball to Austin Reaves and filled the lane on the fast break.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026
Redondo Union loves to fast break and create scoring opportunities with its defense.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 15, 2026
A Williams steal triggered a fast break ending in a Brown driving layup in which he was fouled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2025
I got another chance on a fast break, and I could have passed, but I forced a difficult shot because I’d missed the last one.
From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds
“I think you’re not going to be perfect; you’re going to have turnovers. Just trying to eliminate the live-ball turnovers where they get easy fast-break layups or threes or dunks.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
As the Clippers missed four consecutive shots, Orlando went up 111-107 on a fast-break dunk from Banchero with 40 seconds left.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2026
She capped the surge with a three-point play, stealing the ball before drawing a foul on a fast-break layup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2025
After running the floor for a fast-break layup late in the second quarter, Doncic was laboring and limping on the way back.
From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2024
He scored a fast-break layup with his left hand, pulled us within four.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
About 3,800 iftar fast-breaking meals are served each evening, financed largely through online contributions, organisers say.
From Barron's ● Feb. 24, 2026
Speaking to a group of young people at a Ramadan fast-breaking meal in Ankara on Tuesday, President Erdogan urged patience and common sense amid what he described as "very sensitive days."
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2025
Dylan Disu, who spent much of last season playing while recovering from knee surgery, looked spry, scoring eight points and making two blocks, one by chasing down a fast-breaking Brycen Long.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 10, 2022
The perfect name for a fast-breaking, high-energy team that made pleasing the crowd while winning a combination teams have been searching for ever since.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2022
By aid of the fast-breaking dawn, they could see the line of high, dark rocks, upon which the ship had met her fate.
From Dyke Darrel the Railroad Detective Or, The Crime of the Midnight Express by Pinkerton, A. Frank [pseud.]
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
