First recorded in 1945–50
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Cambridge University graduate took aim at tech industry culture, saying companies "run on a startup mindset: move fast, break things, fix them later."
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
And then James got rhe ball ripped away from him by Reed Sheppard, the Rockets’ 21-year-old, allegedly 6-foot-2 guard, who raced up the court for a fast break dunk with 2:22 to play.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026
The Gators like to get out in the fast break, but Iowa countered with a snail-paced offense style of any team in the nation this season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
With just under a minute left, Davidson hit the floor to get a steal and coach Lindsay Gottlieb called a timeout as a fast break was developing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2026
I swatted the ball from his hands and made a fast break for the basket.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
“I think you’re not going to be perfect; you’re going to have turnovers. Just trying to eliminate the live-ball turnovers where they get easy fast-break layups or threes or dunks.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
Texas isn’t going to deliver many three-point blows, but the Longhorns can take the ball away and chip away with fast-break points in the paint.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026
She capped the surge with a three-point play, stealing the ball before drawing a foul on a fast-break layup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2025
Anunoby was hurt soon after, appearing to injure his hamstring while trying to finish a fast-break layup, but Brunson guided the Knicks through the finish with 14 points in the fourth quarter.
From Seattle Times ● May 8, 2024
He scored a fast-break layup with his left hand, pulled us within four.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
As the sun sets, Palestinians in Gaza gather at communal tables for the fast-breaking meal of iftar during Ramadan.
From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026
Speaking to a group of young people at a Ramadan fast-breaking meal in Ankara on Tuesday, President Erdogan urged patience and common sense amid what he described as "very sensitive days."
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2025
Dylan Disu, who spent much of last season playing while recovering from knee surgery, looked spry, scoring eight points and making two blocks, one by chasing down a fast-breaking Brycen Long.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 10, 2022
The perfect name for a fast-breaking, high-energy team that made pleasing the crowd while winning a combination teams have been searching for ever since.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2022
Dave Mills, a vacuum cleaner off the back-boards, led a fast-breaking Seattle University team to victory last night.
From A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis by Melvin Powers
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
