basketball

noun

bas·​ket·​ball ˈba-skit-ˌbȯl How to pronounce basketball (audio)
often attributive
: a usually indoor court game between two teams of usually five players each who score by tossing an inflated ball through a raised goal
also : the ball used in this game

Examples of basketball in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ryan Joyce was a forward for the basketball team at Hood and an assistant coach at St. Mary’s and Seton Hill, while Cody Joyce was a forward at Houston Baptist and UMBC and an assistant coach at Washington College. Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2025 Geno Auriemma sees championship path after UConn women’s basketball’s vintage dominance vs. Seton Hall Geno Auriemma sees championship path after UConn women's basketball's vintage dominance vs. Seton Hall CT brewery closes a popular shoreline pub and restaurant location. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2025 Golden State guard Klay Thompson sets an NBA record by making his first 10 attempts from 3-point range as the Warriors beat the Lakers, 130-111; Thompson scores 44 points. 2024 — Tara VanDerveer, Stanford, becomes winningest college basketball coach with 1,203rd victory. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025 The basketball legend is also a big soccer fan and co-owns the 23X1 racing team, which is currently at the center of an antitrust lawsuit against stock car racing series NASCAR. Joelle Diderich, WWD, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for basketball 

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of basketball was in 1891

Dictionary Entries Near basketball

Cite this Entry

“Basketball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basketball. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

basketball

noun
bas·​ket·​ball -ˌbȯl How to pronounce basketball (audio)
: a court game in which each of two teams tries to toss an inflated ball through a raised goal
also : the ball used in this game

More from Merriam-Webster on basketball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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