handball

noun

hand·​ball ˈhan(d)-ˌbȯl How to pronounce handball (audio)
1
: a game played in a walled court or against a single wall or board by two or four players who use their hands to strike the ball
2
: a small rubber ball used in handball

Examples of handball in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rather than backing startups speculatively and hoping for product-market fit, Helgosson said PSG Labs identifies genuine internal business needs—across men’s football, women’s football, handball and judo—and seeds ventures to fill them. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 June 2026 After the handball in the box on Czechia's Pavel Sulc, Teboho Mokoena stepped in for a penalty, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and buried a shot into the left side of the net to make this a 1-1 match with under 10 minutes to go. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 June 2026 In the wake of Tuesday’s incident, there was a rush to dredge up footage or photos of Messi’s handball against the Netherlands in the 2022 World Cup quarter-final in Qatar — a very clear deliberate handball which was not punished by a yellow card. Graham Scott, New York Times, 19 June 2026 However, the officials did not spot the handball in real time, and—with no video review system available then—the goal counted, despite vociferous protests from the English players and fans. Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for handball

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of handball was in 1704

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Cite this Entry

“Handball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handball. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

handball

noun
hand·​ball -ˌbȯl How to pronounce handball (audio)
1
: a game played in a walled court or against a single wall or board by two or four players who use their hands to strike a ball
2
: the ball used in handball

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