triple threat

American  

noun

1. an expert in three different fields or in three different skills in the same field.

2. Football. a back who is proficient at running, passing, and punting.

   The triple threat is a rare find for coaches.

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triple threat Idioms  

1. A person who is adept in three areas, as in She's a triple threat on the editorial staff—she can edit, write, and design pages. This term comes from football, where it signifies a player who is good at running, passing, and kicking. [c. 1920] Also see hat trick.

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Etymology

Origin of triple threat

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

This time, markets are watching for intervention as Japan faces a complex triple threat: rising crude prices, a widening trade deficit and a fundamental shift in domestic fiscal policy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Together with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers were expected to be contenders this season but their time together as a triple threat has been limited by injuries.

From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026

Bluetongue virus is one element of a triple threat of animal diseases that, earlier this year, the agriculture environment and rural affairs minister warned the agri-food industry faced.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2025

That something more explodes in musical numbers like "Dancing Through Life" where the triple threat flies off walls and dances on books, charming Glinda and Shiz University's students — well, except the notoriously hard-to-crack Elphaba.

From Salon • Dec. 9, 2024

Since last weekend, domestic distributors have generated an estimated $400 million in ticket sales with the triple threat of “Moana 2,” Universal Pictures’ “Wicked” and Paramount Pictures’ “Gladiator II,” according to Comscore.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2024