box score

noun

: a printed score of a game (such as baseball) giving the names and positions of the players and a record of the play arranged in tabular form

broadly : total count : summary

Examples of box score in a Sentence

reading the box scores in the newspaper

Recent Examples on the Web

The final box score didn’t reflect the fitfulness of Wednesday’s loss — after all, Vučević finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds as the Bulls’ second-highest scorer. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026

When Oden walked onto the floor for the start of the third OT, Boise State coach Leon Rice ran down the sideline, waving the real-time box score that is distributed to the teams and media during timeouts; the printout had Oden with five fouls. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026

Fernández emphasized that Wolf’s development shouldn’t be judged solely by box scores. —C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 Jan. 2026

Yet researchers who combed through decades of league data and box scores recognize Al Baker’s 23-sack season in 1978 with the Detroit Lions as the unofficial all-time leader. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 21 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from its arrangement in a newspaper box

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for box score

• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• backdoor
• before
• bookstore
• candour
• centaur
• claymore

Kids Definition

box score

noun

: a printed table giving the score of a game (as baseball), a record of how it was played, and the names and positions of the players