full-court press

1. A strategy in basketball in which the defensive team applies pressure on the offensive team across the entire court. We were down by 15, so we ran a full-court press and started to create some turnovers.

2. By extension, an aggressive or increased effort to win or accomplish something. Congress pulled out a full-court press in an effort to get the bill passed.

full-court press

An all-out effort to exert pressure. For example, She'd learned over the years how to deliver a full-court press of guilt. The term alludes to a basketball tactic in which the defenders put pressure on the opposing team over the entire court, trying to disrupt their dribbling and passing. [Late 1900s]

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Mcmullen	[mək'mʌlin]
Mcmahon	[mek'ma:ən]
Eleonore	e-le-o-NO-rə	German
Akbar	-	Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Indian (Muslim)
Aghi	-	Ancient Scandinavian
Jaymes	JAYMZ	English (Modern)