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• slam dunk
  slam dunk

  noun

  a particularly forceful, often dramatic dunk shot.
• slam-dunk
  slam-dunk

  verb (used with object)

  to dunk (the ball) with great force.

slam dunk

¹ American  

noun

slam dunks plural

1. Basketball. a particularly forceful, often dramatic dunk shot.

2. Slang. something regarded as certain to occur or be accomplished, typically something desirable that requires little further effort.

   The election is starting to look like a slam dunk for our side.

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slam-dunk ² American  

[slam-duhngk] / ˈslæmˌdʌŋk /

verb (used with object)

1. Basketball. to dunk (the ball) with great force.

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slam dunk British  

noun

1. basketball a scoring shot in which a player jumps up and forces the ball down through the basket

2. informal a task so easy that success in it is deemed a certainty

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verb

1. basketball to jump up and force (a ball) through a basket

slam dunk Idioms  

1. A forceful, dramatic move, as in That indictment was a slam dunk if ever there was one. This expression is also often put as a verb, slam-dunk, meaning “make a forceful move against someone,” as in This is a great chance for us to slam-dunk the opposition. The idiom comes from basketball, where it refers to a dramatic shot in which the ball is thrust into the basket from above the rim. It was transferred to other activities from about 1980 on.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• slam dunker
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• slam dunks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of slam dunk

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Former SNP minister Kate Forbes has claimed that she was viewed as a "slam dunk" for the party leadership until she revealed her views on gay marriage.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

“Dell is a competitor, and the last time Super Micro ran into some trouble or difficulty, it was a slam dunk for Dell. They picked up a lot of business and a lot of customers.”

From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026

Two games into this series it looks to us, the members of the jury, as though Redick has taken this allegedly open-and-shut case, this slam dunk of a trial — and thrown down a reverse.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

Forget the politics: When it comes to personal finance, that advice is a slam dunk.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026

“Love you” can slip up on you, sure, but it doesn’t make an in-your-face slam dunk.

From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas