grand slam

[grand slam]

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of grand slam¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

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

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This time last year he was hitting an extra-inning, walk-off grand slam against the New York Yankees that propelled the Dodgers to the title.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

By the time the inning ended, a pair of Los Angeles relievers had let nine runs cross the plate, punctuated by Addison Barger’s pinch-hit grand slam, the first in World Series history.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The All Blacks will stick with tried-and-true combinations for their Northern Tour next month, after announcing Monday their intention to secure a first grand slam in 15 years.

Read more on Barron's

McIlroy, who achieved the career grand slam when he won the Masters in April, is far from the only player on Team Europe to experience this.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accomplishment 
• achievement 
• advance 
• benefit 
• boom 
• fame 
• gain 
• happiness 
• profit 
• progress 
• prosperity 
• realization 
• triumph 
• victory 
• win