basketball
noun
bas·ket·ball
ˈba-skit-ˌbȯl 
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
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Maybe not like Sean Avery turning his back on the play and waving his arms in front of Martin Brodeur like a basketball player guarding an inbound pass, but, well, not not like that, either.
—
Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Just a couple of hours earlier, most Boise State basketball fans had likely forgotten about Carmichael or only heard his name in passing.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 9 Jan. 2025
Smith is the sixth Division I basketball coach to reach the 700-win plateau and does so in the shortest time.
1996 — The Toronto Raptors set an NBA record by not making a free throw in a 92-91 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Classes are weeks away from beginning on campus, yet Maryland women’s basketball had one of its biggest crowds in years Wednesday night.
—Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2025
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Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Just a couple of hours earlier, most Boise State basketball fans had likely forgotten about Carmichael or only heard his name in passing.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 9 Jan. 2025
Smith is the sixth Division I basketball coach to reach the 700-win plateau and does so in the shortest time.
1996 — The Toronto Raptors set an NBA record by not making a free throw in a 92-91 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Classes are weeks away from beginning on campus, yet Maryland women’s basketball had one of its biggest crowds in years Wednesday night.
—Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for basketball
Dictionary Entries Near basketball
Cite this Entry
“Basketball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basketball. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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basketball
noun
bas·ket·ball
-ˌbȯl
: 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
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