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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Johnson felt like a basketball and cultural fit.
—
Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
The women’s basketball transfer portal opened on April 6 and will close on April 20.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 18 Apr. 2026
Panos is coming off a strong senior season for the Knights in basketball.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
LeVasseur went on to play basketball and football at Frederick Gunn School in Washington, Conn.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
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Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
The women’s basketball transfer portal opened on April 6 and will close on April 20.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 18 Apr. 2026
Panos is coming off a strong senior season for the Knights in basketball.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
LeVasseur went on to play basketball and football at Frederick Gunn School in Washington, Conn.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for basketball
Cite this Entry
“Basketball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basketball. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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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