onside kick
noun
: a kickoff in football in which the ball travels just far enough to be legally recoverable by the kicking team
Examples of onside kick in a Sentence
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The Bengals then lined up for a desperation onside kick and, thanks to the slightest of touches off a Bears player’s foot, managed to recover the ball to get possession back.
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Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
After the 2-pointer, the Bengals miraculously recovered an onside kick.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 2 Nov. 2025
The Panthers squandered a 23-12 lead late in the fourth quarter, which included allowing the Rams to recover an onside kick (which was recovered by the kicker himself, Jeff Wilkins).
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
After nearly allowing West Virginia to recover the onside kick, TCU needed to pick up a first down to clinch the win.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Oct. 2025
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Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
After the 2-pointer, the Bengals miraculously recovered an onside kick.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 2 Nov. 2025
The Panthers squandered a 23-12 lead late in the fourth quarter, which included allowing the Rams to recover an onside kick (which was recovered by the kicker himself, Jeff Wilkins).
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
After nearly allowing West Virginia to recover the onside kick, TCU needed to pick up a first down to clinch the win.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for onside kick
Cite this Entry
“Onside kick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onside%20kick. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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