field day

noun

1
a
: a day for military exercises or maneuvers
b
: an outdoor meeting or social gathering
c
: a day of sports and athletic competition
2
: a time of extraordinary pleasure or opportunity
the newspaper had a field day with the scandal

Examples of field day in a Sentence

the fifth grade's annual field day
Recent Examples on the Web Another booster member, Starla Frazier, who was then-Mayor Mark Stodola's executive assistant and a former Parks co-worker of Hickman, contacted the department, which was able to open the pavilions, and the field day went on as planned. John Lynch, Arkansas Online, 29 July 2023 Investigators believed that Amy, who died from a stab wound to the left side of her neck, was dumped in the field days after her abduction. Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 16 July 2023 In Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., public school outdoor activities, like field days and field trips, were moved indoors or canceled on Thursday. Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 8 June 2023 The commenters had an absolute field day with what many view as a tone-deaf and retrogressive fashion shoot. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 28 Nov. 2023 Mostly, though, the internet has had a series of field days reflecting on the possibility that the biggest music artist in the world is dating Kris Jenner’s third most famous daughter (and that the hardest-working momager in showbiz almost certainly had something to do with it). Bethonie Butler, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2023 The pivot to going online was a field day for big tech companies, especially as small businesses were closed and people didn’t want to leave their homes. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2023 Read more The Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, and Kylie Jenner Gossip, Explained Amateur lip readers are having a field day. Sam Reed, Glamour, 9 Jan. 2024 Some was purely recreational, like fishing clubs, coin-collectors’ clubs, golf field days, and yes, that favorite of Harvard political scientist Robert D. Putnam, bowling leagues. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 19 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'field day.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of field day was in 1747

Dictionary Entries Near field day

Cite this Entry

“Field day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/field%20day. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

field day

noun
1
: a day of outdoor sports and athletic competition
2
: a time of unusual pleasure or unexpected success
newspapers had a field day with the story

More from Merriam-Webster on field day

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