jump shot

American  

noun

Basketball.

1. a shot with one or both hands in which a player leaps into the air and shoots the ball at the basket at the moment of reaching the highest point of the leap.

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jump shot British  

noun

1. basketball a shot at the basket made by a player releasing the ball at the highest point of a leap

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Etymology

Origin of jump shot

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jump shot

Underwood’s ideal athlete was tall but agile, with a smooth dribble and a clean jump shot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

And Flagg then missed a potential tying 20-foot jump shot in the game's final action, to end his record-breaking night on a bittersweet note.

From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026

Smith notices a difference too: “I’ve seen improvement in Tati’s jump shot and I’m very proud of her.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 18, 2026

As a kid, he had a pretty good jump shot, and by 2017 was playing as a guard for Macalester College’s Division III basketball team in St. Paul.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 22, 2025

“Whaddaya takin’ a jump shot from the foul line for?”

From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman