free throw lane
noun
basketball
: one of the two 12- or 16-foot-wide marked rectangular areas on a court that extend from the baseline (see baseline sense 3) to a line 15 feet in front of the backboard and that players may not enter during a free throw
called also key, paint
Cite this Entry
“Free throw lane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20throw%20lane. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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