fast one
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of fast one
An Americanism dating back to 1920–25
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Now they worried that Tahnoon was again playing a fast one.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Instead, only the foreman signed off on it — the legal equivalent of pulling a fast one on the judicial process.
From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2025
"Knowing I had the chance to put my son two minutes from here was very important, because I can reach him any time, very fast," one of the firm's finance bosses, Melania Sandrin, explains.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2025
That’s because most Olympic finals are more tactical than fast, one reason why Cheptegei’s world record is nearly a minute better than the Olympic record.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2024
They hadn’t warned the crowd about illegal punches— and there was always a wise guy out there ready to pull a fast one.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
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.
