schoolyard
noun
school·yard
ˈskül-ˌyärd 
plural schoolyards
: the area next to or surrounding a school where students typically play games or sports
He organized a marbles tournament that could take place only in the schoolyard during recess.—
Jerry Spinelli
Jerry Spinelli… there was a schoolboyish quality to the way he did it—as if he were trying to show that he was the biggest, toughest boy in the schoolyard.—Elizabeth Drew
—often used before another nounElizabeth Drewschoolyard games
a schoolyard bully
Examples of schoolyard in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Those who plan smartly will have the schoolyard secured and the parents' shopping cart along with it.
—Sin To, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
Every great American story is sentimental in the same way: instincts born out of struggle, the triumph of the schoolyard over the classroom, uncommon creativity driven by necessity.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
The group has other plans, too: To grow greener schoolyards, using composting, rain gardens and native greenery; to incentivize cargo bikes and create bicycle repair stations as a way to reduce vehicle emissions; to create rain gardens as a way to capture and clean stormwater.
—Ryan Carter, Oc Register, 2 June 2025
Last year, a parent coalition successfully lobbied for Pasadena Unified to commit a portion of Measure R, its $900-million school facilities bond, for schoolyard greening.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for schoolyard
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Sin To, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
Every great American story is sentimental in the same way: instincts born out of struggle, the triumph of the schoolyard over the classroom, uncommon creativity driven by necessity.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
The group has other plans, too: To grow greener schoolyards, using composting, rain gardens and native greenery; to incentivize cargo bikes and create bicycle repair stations as a way to reduce vehicle emissions; to create rain gardens as a way to capture and clean stormwater.
—Ryan Carter, Oc Register, 2 June 2025
Last year, a parent coalition successfully lobbied for Pasadena Unified to commit a portion of Measure R, its $900-million school facilities bond, for schoolyard greening.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for schoolyard
Cite this Entry
“Schoolyard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schoolyard. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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