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.
In fact, one of those one-off events was the host of one of the coolest moments in Charlotte’s sports history — when a 16-year-old Charlotte FC academy player in Brian Romero forced a handball in the box in the waning minutes of the contest, then overtime, then a shootout and then a win. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 23 June 2025 The result is that those checks are more about locations, making sense of a game of inches, to determine points of contact both on the pitch and on a player’s body (in the case of a handball). Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 20 June 2025 Mings’ handball turned out to be decisive in a 1-0 defeat and Emery, speaking in a hurried post-match press conference, partially blamed his team’s loss on the incident. Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 29 May 2025 Perhaps caught out by the directness of City’s play, the near-side assistant referee was behind the play and did not flag for a handball. Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 18 May 2025 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 30 Jun. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on handball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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