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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.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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.

Etymology

Origin of grand slam

First recorded in 1890–95

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.

Williams, who won 23 grand slam titles, has previously spoken about her use of weight loss jabs.

From BBC

The team is a formidable force, having now clocked up a record breaking 12 grand slams, four European championships and two world championships.

From BBC

Even the best pitchers give up a grand slam from time to time, and a winning record requires constant attention and adjustment.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s not fair that Freddie Freeman’s 18th-inning home run to end what equaled the longest World Series game will be somewhat forgotten in the wake of last year’s game-winning World Series grand slam.

From Los Angeles Times

Last year we were here for Game 1, Freddie Freeman, grand slam, so it was worth it, then it’s worth it now.

From Los Angeles Times

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.