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.
And then James got rhe ball ripped away from him by Reed Sheppard, the Rockets’ 21-year-old, allegedly 6-foot-2 guard, who raced up the court for a fast break dunk with 2:22 to play.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026
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
We missed at the other end, and English didn’t push the fast break.
From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds
Texas isn’t going to deliver many three-point blows, but the Longhorns can take the ball away and chip away with fast-break points in the paint.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026
The offense appeared to wake up when Brownell and Jerry Easter II got two fast-break layups off of two more Cal Poly turnovers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2025
The concerns for the Lakers moving forward can be found all over the final box score, the 19-point edge in fast-break points showing how much faster Minnesota played.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2025
Anunoby was hurt soon after, appearing to injure his hamstring while trying to finish a fast-break layup, but Brunson guided the Knicks through the finish with 14 points in the fourth quarter.
From Seattle Times ● May 8, 2024
He scored a fast-break layup with his left hand, pulled us within four.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
Schools would organise discussion programmes and fast-breaking dinners aimed at strengthening school–family cooperation, he said, adding that participation would be voluntary.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
The final sunset of Ramadan last week found me below a mosque in the Bronx, in a basement cafeteria, elbow to elbow with hungry Muslims awaiting that last fast-breaking meal of the year.
From Slate ● Apr. 5, 2025
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
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.
