dribbled; dribbling
ˈdri-b(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to issue sporadically and in small bits
2
: to let or cause to fall in drops little by little
3
a
: to propel by successive slight taps or bounces with hand, foot, or stick
dribble a basketball
dribble a puck
b
: to hit (a ball) without much force so that it bounces slowly along the ground
1
: to fall or flow in drops or in a thin intermittent stream : trickle
2
: to let saliva trickle from the corner of the mouth : drool
3
: to come or issue in piecemeal or desultory fashion
4
1
: a tiny or insignificant bit or quantity
2
: a small trickling stream or flow
3
: an act, instance, or manner of dribbling a ball or puck
Examples of dribble in a Sentence
Verb
Juice dribbled down his chin.
She accidentally dribbled wine onto the rug.
Dribble olive oil over the warm bread before serving.
She dribbled across the basketball court.
He skillfully dribbled the soccer ball towards the goal.
Noun
He wiped a dribble of juice from the corner of the baby's mouth.
She gave the ball a dribble before passing it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Cox, New York Times, 3 June 2026
The Hawks’ veteran guard CJ McCollum, always excellent but usually a sideman to a brighter star, dribbled and sidestepped through and around the Knicks defense, suddenly looking like one of the best offensive players in the league.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 2 June 2026
Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 2026
For example, during his dominant, 18-point first quarter in the Spurs’ Game 5 win over the Timberwolves, on one play Wembanyama hit a combo of hesitation dribbles into a crossover into a spinning layup over Rudy Gobert.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dribble
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.
Verb
The evening after that encounter, his younger brother Hugo had phoned him to rebuke him for shooting when Clemence had already committed himself and left space to dribble around.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 3 June 2026
The Hawks’ veteran guard CJ McCollum, always excellent but usually a sideman to a brighter star, dribbled and sidestepped through and around the Knicks defense, suddenly looking like one of the best offensive players in the league.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 2 June 2026
Noun
Just non-stop dribbles, counter-attacks, through balls, amazing finishes… all of football’s good bits.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 2026
For example, during his dominant, 18-point first quarter in the Spurs’ Game 5 win over the Timberwolves, on one play Wembanyama hit a combo of hesitation dribbles into a crossover into a spinning layup over Rudy Gobert.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dribble
Cite this Entry
“Dribble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dribble. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dribble
2 of 2 noun1
: a small trickling flow
2
: an act or instance of dribbling a ball or puck
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
