phrase
Slam Dunk
An outcome considered guaranteed.
Origin
From basketball, where dunking the ball directly into the hoop from above is one of the few shots that practically cannot miss. Coined as a basketball term in the 1970s; the figurative meaning followed almost immediately.
Modern usage
Used in deal-making, legal cases, and gambling. Often regretted in hindsight โ declared slam dunks have a high rate of going sideways.
In the wild
I thought it was a slam-dunk acquisition โ three weeks later it was dead.โ M&A folklore
Tags
certainty
outcome