full court press
All-out defensive strategy
A full court press is a basketball defensive strategy in which players guard opponents across the entire court rather than just near their own basket, designed to create pressure and force turnovers.
The term has become a common metaphor for any intense, all-out effort to achieve a goal: The campaign launched a full court press to win over undecided voters.
In both uses, the phrase suggests aggressive, sustained pressure with maximum resources deployed.
Direct and honest
- zoneBounded area designation
- trapDevice for catching animals
- double-teamTwo-on-one defensive tactic
- backcourtHalf nearest own basket
inbounds · turnover · steal · fastbreak · transition · baseline · sideline · timeout
Predetermined course of action
- executionCompleting a planned task
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- maneuverDeliberate tactical movement
- formationCreation or arrangement
deployment · trap · double-team · rotation · anticipation · positioning · timing · communication
Continuing without pause
- overwhelmingIntensely excessive in force
- suffocatingDepriving of air
- aggressiveHostile and confrontational
- intenseExtreme in degree
unrelenting · smothering · exhausting · disruptive · harassing · stifling · persistent · constant
man-to-man
Direct and honest
- zoneBounded area designation
- trapDevice for catching animals
- double-teamTwo-on-one defensive tactic
backcourt · inbounds · turnover · steal · fastbreak · transition · baseline · sideline · timeout · dribble
gameplan
Predetermined course of action
- executionCompleting a planned task
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- maneuverDeliberate tactical movement
formation · deployment · trap · double-team · rotation · anticipation · positioning · timing · communication · discipline
relentless
Continuing without pause
- overwhelmingIntensely excessive in force
- suffocatingDepriving of air
- aggressiveHostile and confrontational
intense · unrelenting · smothering · exhausting · disruptive · harassing · stifling · persistent · constant · grinding
campaign
Organized effort toward goal
- blitzSwift, overwhelming offensive
- offensiveCausing displeasure or attack-oriented
- onslaughtFierce, overwhelming assault
assault · push · drive · all-out · barrage · lobbying · publicity · negotiation · persuasion · advocacy
- basketballbasketball, rebound, dunk, basketball camps, dribble
- sports idiomsdrop the ball, throw in the towel, slam dunk, out of left field, level playing field
- sports slangalley-oop, buzzer beater, clutch, dunk, slam dunk
- basketball trainingdrills, practice, scrimmage, shooting, dribbling
- power tacticspower play, power grab, strong-arm, strong-arming, strongarm
- sports tacticszone defense, pick, formations, game plan, spacing
full court pressminimal effort
Smallest exertion needed
going through the motions · soft sell · token effort · token gesture · phoning it in
full court presszone defense
Guarding regions, not individuals
passive defense · man-to-man defense · prevent defense · drop back · fall back
full court presslaissez-faire
Noninterference in commerce
wait and see · standing pat · sitting back · disengagement · backing off
full, fully, fullness, fuller, fullest, court, courts, courted, courting