neutral zone
noun
plural neutral zones
1
American football
: a space between the two lines of scrimmage equivalent to the length of the ball that may not be encroached upon by either team until the ball is put in play
2
ice hockey
: the portion of a rink (see rink sense 1a) between the attacking and defensive zones
3
: a zone or area of shared ownership or administration
In fact, the Saudis and Kuwaitis aid the Iraqis … by selling Iraqi oil from the neutral zone, a favor that pumps more than $3 million a day into Iraqi coffers.—
Newsweek
NewsweekExamples of neutral zone in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His backhand clearing attempt was knocked down easily on the way to Buchnevich’s first goal, while a poor neutral zone sort out contributed to Fowler’s 3-0 goal later in the frame.
—Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Heading into the 2023-24 season, Woodcraft changed Edmonton’s neutral zone defensive formation to a 1-1-3 structure.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
In the final deal, Finland ceded large stretches of land along the Soviet border, agreed to lease a Baltic peninsula to the Soviet Union for 30 years, and permitted the creation of a neutral zone.
—G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2025
The Titans held a 14-13 lead late in the game when Vrabel instructed his Titans to purposefully take three penalties in a row — delay of game, false start, neutral zone infraction — which killed an additional minute of game clock thanks to a loophole in the rules.
—Chad Graff, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
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Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Heading into the 2023-24 season, Woodcraft changed Edmonton’s neutral zone defensive formation to a 1-1-3 structure.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
In the final deal, Finland ceded large stretches of land along the Soviet border, agreed to lease a Baltic peninsula to the Soviet Union for 30 years, and permitted the creation of a neutral zone.
—G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2025
The Titans held a 14-13 lead late in the game when Vrabel instructed his Titans to purposefully take three penalties in a row — delay of game, false start, neutral zone infraction — which killed an additional minute of game clock thanks to a loophole in the rules.
—Chad Graff, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for neutral zone
Cite this Entry
“Neutral zone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neutral%20zone. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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