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smashmouth

adjective
smash·​mouth | \ ˈsmash-ˌmau̇th How to pronounce smashmouth (audio) \

Definition of smashmouth

: characterized by brute force without finesse smashmouth football
Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about smashmouth

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Did You Know?

Smashmouth crashed its way into the English language during the 1984 football season to describe the brutally hard-hitting play that is characteristic of the game. It has since been used to describe similar physicality in other contact sports, such as hockey and basketball, and has even forced its way out of the realm of sports into politics; we’ve been using it to describe hardball tactics in politics since the 1984 U.S. presidential election. However, this political application of smashmouth has yet to make it into the end zone. It occurs too rarely in English to merit its own sense in the dictionary.

Examples of smashmouth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 His physicality as a runner sets the tone for Herman’s smashmouth offense, and his touch as a passer keeps defenses out of eight-man boxes. — Michael Shapiro, SI.com, "Five QBs Whose Performance Will Make-or-Break Their Team's 2019 Season," 9 Aug. 2019 O’Rourke is currently testing whether the nice guy approach can work in a smashmouth political climate. — Matt Viser, Town & Country, "Why So Many People Are Betting on Beto O'Rourke," 26 July 2018

First Known Use of smashmouth

1975, in the meaning defined above

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