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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Arizona tightened its hold on the top spot in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday while Vanderbilt’s unbeaten season has landed the Commodores in the top 10.
—
Dallas Morning News, 12 Jan. 2026
The field house is the home venue for the school's basketball and volleyball teams.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
He was awarded a $1,500 NIL deal with the Pangos basketball group.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 12 Jan. 2026
Their father, Matt Heinricy, is a pastor and basketball junkie.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
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Dallas Morning News, 12 Jan. 2026
The field house is the home venue for the school's basketball and volleyball teams.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
He was awarded a $1,500 NIL deal with the Pangos basketball group.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 12 Jan. 2026
Their father, Matt Heinricy, is a pastor and basketball junkie.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 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 19 Jan. 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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