bowling

noun

bowl·​ing ˈbō-liŋ 

: any of several games in which balls are rolled (as on a green or down an alley) at an object or group of objects

Examples of bowling in a Sentence

She watches bowling on TV.

Recent Examples on the Web

Often described as somewhere between darts and bowling, the venues typically hosted bachelor parties, team-building events and recreational leagues. —Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026

Vietnam veteran Gene Faber can head back to the lanes, 25 years after his last bowling alley visit. —Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026

Think bowling alleys, a home theater, tennis and basketball courts, arcade rooms, a pool and spa, and even an ice-cream parlor–style concession space. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2026

One Direction fans know that bowling was one of Liam’s favorite pasttimes and the singer had a floral arrangement of a bowling ball and pins at his funeral. —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bowling

• bowling alley
• bowling green
• lawn bowling
• tenpin bowling

Rhymes for bowling

• coaling
• doling
• growling
• holing
• poling
• polling
• rolling
• scrolling
• shoaling
• strolling
• tolling
• trolling

Kids Definition

bowling

noun

bowl·​ing ˈbō-liŋ 

1

: a game played by rolling balls so as to knock down pins set up at the far end of an alley

2

: lawn bowling