Meaning & use
dunk in basketball
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablesport
A shot in basketball in which a player jumps and pushes the ball down through the hoop from above.
Grammar: Countable: say 'a dunk in basketball' or 'two dunks in basketball'; the phrase often appears after 'score' or 'make'.
Patterns
- score a dunk in basketball
- make a dunk in basketball
- a powerful dunk in basketball
He scored a spectacular dunk in basketball that brought the crowd to its feet.
The coach praised her for finishing the fast break with a dunk in basketball.
A dunk in basketball is worth two points, just like a regular field goal.
verbtransitive or intransitivesport
To score by jumping and pushing the ball down through the basket in basketball.
Grammar: Can be used with or without an object: 'He dunked the ball' or 'He dunked in basketball.'
Patterns
- dunk the ball
- dunk in basketball
- dunk over someone
The rookie dunked in basketball for the first time in a professional game.
She dunked the ball with both hands, silencing the opposing fans.
He can dunk in basketball despite his relatively short height.
Word forms
| plural | dunks in basketball |
|---|---|
| third person singular | dunks in basketball |
| past tense | dunked in basketball |
| past participle | dunked in basketball |
| -ing form | dunking in basketball |
Common combinations
- slam dunk
- His slam dunk in the final seconds won the game.
- dunk contest
- The annual dunk contest features the league's best high-flyers.
- dunk over someone
- He dunked over the defender, who could only watch.
- power dunk
- The power dunk rattled the entire backboard.
Synonyms and how they differ
- slam
- A 'slam' is a forceful dunk; it often emphasizes the power and noise more than the act itself.
Word family
- dunker noun
- A player who is known for dunking the ball.
- dunking noun
- The action of scoring by pushing the ball down through the hoop.
Commonly confused: dunk in basketball or dunk (in coffee)?
dunk in basketball vs dunk (in coffee)
To 'dunk' a cookie or donut means to dip it into a drink; in basketball, it means to push the ball down through the hoop.
Practice
In basketball, what does it mean to 'dunk'?
Choose one answer.
A dunk is a close-range shot where the player jumps and puts the ball directly into the basket from above. Throwing from far away is a 'jump shot,' passing is an 'assist,' and dribbling is moving with the ball.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dunk in basketball”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.