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
Recent Examples on the Web
One story that stands out to Jordan came in 2024, when Pennsylvania high schools Claysburg-Kimmel and Northern Bedford played against each other at a Sideline Cancer basketball game.
—
David Chiu, PEOPLE, 28 Dec. 2025
College basketball coaching legend Tom Izzo didn’t hold back when asked about James Nnaji returning to Baylor after being selected in the NBA Draft but never having played a game for a team.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
That's the start of Hoophall West, one of the biggest high school boys basketball showcases in the country, at Mesa Skyline.
—Richard Obert, AZCentral.com, 27 Dec. 2025
More basketball sneakers have also been confirmed with several retros, including the shoe worn by Kobe Bryant in his career-high 81-point game and the first ever return of Kevin Durant’s ode to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for basketball
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David Chiu, PEOPLE, 28 Dec. 2025
College basketball coaching legend Tom Izzo didn’t hold back when asked about James Nnaji returning to Baylor after being selected in the NBA Draft but never having played a game for a team.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
That's the start of Hoophall West, one of the biggest high school boys basketball showcases in the country, at Mesa Skyline.
—Richard Obert, AZCentral.com, 27 Dec. 2025
More basketball sneakers have also been confirmed with several retros, including the shoe worn by Kobe Bryant in his career-high 81-point game and the first ever return of Kevin Durant’s ode to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for basketball
Cite this Entry
“Basketball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basketball. Accessed 30 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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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