airballed
Missed the rim
Airballed means missed completely, from basketball slang for a shot that touches neither rim nor backboard—nothing but air.
The term extends beyond sports to any embarrassing whiff: He airballed the high-five, She airballed that job interview question.
The failure is total and usually public.
Fired clay building unit
- clankSharp metallic sound
- rimshotPercussive joke closer
- swishSoft rushing sound
- jumpshotElevated basketball release
three-pointer · layup · shooter · arc · fadeaway · jumper · rebound · backboard
Fail to reach
- blunderFoolish, costly mistake
- botchSpoil through incompetence
- whiffBrief, faint smell
- flopComplete commercial failure
choke · misfire · dud · bust · gaffe · misstep · mishap · letdown
Shrink from discomfort
- humiliationLoss of dignity
- mortificationIntense shame or embarrassment
- chagrinDistress from wounded pride
- awkwardnessLack of grace or ease
shame · red-faced · flustered · sheepish · blunder · gaffe · discomfort · self-conscious
Missing the intended mark
- overshootGo beyond intended point
- miscalculationError in estimation
- misjudgmentFaulty evaluation of something
- errorFault in communication
wide · astray · deviation · misaligned · imprecision · wayward
brick
Fired clay building unit
jumpshot · three-pointer · layup · shooter · arc · fadeaway · jumper · rebound · backboard · rim
miss
Fail to reach
flop · choke · misfire · dud · bust · gaffe · misstep · mishap · letdown · stumble
cringe
Shrink from discomfort
- humiliationLoss of dignity
- mortificationIntense shame or embarrassment
- chagrinDistress from wounded pride
awkwardness · shame · red-faced · flustered · sheepish · blunder · gaffe · discomfort · self-conscious
off-target
Missing the intended mark
- overshootGo beyond intended point
- miscalculationError in estimation
- misjudgmentFaulty evaluation of something
error · wide · astray · deviation · misaligned · imprecision · wayward