handball

noun

hand·​ball ˈhan(d)-ˌbȯl 

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

Oud-Heverlee Leuven’s first goal in their 2-1 win over FC Twente on Wednesday arose from a penalty given after review for handball; Leuven’s players appealed at the time, and replays showed a clear handball. —Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025

Newcastle head to Paris two years on from the last meeting at the Parc des Princes, when another Tino, defender Livramento, was punished for an extremely harsh handball late on, denying a famous victory. —Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Marginal offsides and fingernail handballs trigger slow-motion purgatory. —Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 21 Aug. 2025

Around that time, Tabaee also got involved in sports ranging from handball to basketball. —Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing handball

• team handball

Rhymes for handball

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids Definition

handball

noun

hand·​ball -ˌbȯl 

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