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
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
With an outstretched hand, Dent blocked a shot to trigger a fast break that he ended with his own long jumper.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 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
Midway through the quarter, a sequence of a Betts layup over the South Carolina defense, a Betts block of a Latson shot and a Jaquez fast-break layup gave the Bruins a resounding 22-point lead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2026
The Timberwolves finished with a 25-6 edge in fast-break points and a 44-32 edge in points in the paint, with forward Jaden McDaniels scoring a team-high 25 points and center Naz Reid adding 23.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2025
As Goldin hammered home a fast-break dunk and let out a roar, Musselman looked up at the scoreboard, with USC trailing by 15, less than four minutes into the second half.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 4, 2025
The forward limped off the court holding the back of his leg after appearing to get injured attempting a fast-break layup in the third quarter.
From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2024
He scored a fast-break layup with his left hand, pulled us within four.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
"We prepare Iftar with whatever we can lay our hands on," the 37-year-old told AFP, referring to the fast-breaking meal.
From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 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
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
He skillfully weaved all of the elements — eyewitness accounts, expert analysis, fast-breaking bulletins and what viewers saw with their own eyes — into a compelling narrative.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 3, 2021
Dave Mills, a vacuum cleaner off the back-boards, led a fast-breaking Seattle University team to victory last night.
From A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis by Melvin Powers
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.
