one-two
Americannoun
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Also called one-two punch. Boxing. a left-hand jab immediately followed by a right cross.
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Informal. any strong or effective combination of two people or things.
The old one-two of a good passer and a good receiver is the best way to win football games.
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Fencing. a type of attack made up of two movements.
adjective
noun
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boxing a jab with the leading hand followed by a cross with the other hand
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soccer another term for wall pass
Etymology
Origin of one-two
First recorded in 1800–10
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.
Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins on Wednesday issued a one-two punch to government pension funds and proxy advisory firms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
If he does manage to recover and finish in the top three, would a Scuderia one-two accompanied by some Antonelli magic be the ideal race result?
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
More recently, the S&P 500 suffered through a lost decade during the 2000s, hurt by the one-two punch of the dot-com bubble bursting, and, later, the 2008 financial crisis.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
For the first time, the Dodgers are set to roll out their new one-two punch of two-time Cy Young winners.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
The twenty Angels enter, newly returned from the fronts, newly decorated, accompanied by their honor guard, marching one-two one-two into the central open space.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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.
