grand slam

American  

[grand slam] / ˈgrænd ˈslæm /

noun

1. Bridge. the winning of all thirteen tricks of a deal.

2. Baseball. Also grand-slammer. a home run with three runners on base.

3. Sports. the winning by a single player of several designated major championship contests in one season, as in golf or tennis.

4. any sweeping success or total victory.

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grand slam British  

noun

1. bridge the winning of 13 tricks by one player or side or the contract to do so

2. tennis golf

   1. the winning of all major competitions in a season, esp in tennis and golf

   2. one of the 4 major competitions in a season in tennis

3. (often capital) rugby Union the winning of all five games in the annual Six Nations Championship involving England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, and Italy Compare triple crown

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grand slam Idioms  

1. A sweeping success or total victory, as in This presentation gave us a grand slam—every buyer placed an order. This term originated in the early 1800s in the card game of whist (forerunner of contract bridge), where it refers to the taking of all thirteen tricks. It later was extended to bridge and various sports, where it has different meanings: in baseball, a home run hit with runners on all the bases, resulting in four runs for the team; in tennis, winning all four national championships in a single calendar year; in golf, winning all four major championships. In the 1990s the term was used for four related proposals presented on a ballot at once.

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Etymology

Origin of grand slam

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Johnson’s dominance meant the go-ahead grand slam would have been enough, but USC added three more runs in the seventh.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

Fans at Easton Stadium anticipated another grand slam, holding up their cell phones hoping to catch some magic.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Verdugo Hills 8, Sun Valley Poly 2: Jered Smith hit a grand slam in the sixth inning to help the Dons reach the City Division I semifinals.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

Lorenze takes inspiration from the distinctive on-court look of tennis’s only clay grand slam.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

I couldn’t believe that the same kids who laughed at me and called me stupid were now cheering for me as I hit a grand slam in the Little League World Series.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

Related Words

• accomplishment
• achievement
• advance
• benefit
• boom
• fame
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• realization
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