pinsetter
noun
pin·set·ter
ˈpin-ˌse-tər 
: an employee or a mechanical device that spots pins in a bowling alley
Examples of pinsetter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Built in 1927, the venue reopened in 2016 after a painstaking restoration of its Spanish Revival façade, bow truss ceilings, 1930s forest murals, and quasi-steampunk pinsetters.
—
Mayer Rus,
Architectural Digest,
5 Feb. 2026
Valastro has kept followers updated on his recovery after his at-home bowling alley’s pinsetter had a malfunction in September 2020.
—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
Today, the Historic Victor Bowling Alley is still operational with its manual pinsetters, a rare feature.
—
Jonathan Shikes,
The Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2024
Bowling alleys across the country are ditching traditional pinsetters — the machines that sweep away and reset pins — in favor of contraptions that employ string.
—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Nov. 2023
Due to pinsetter schedules, open bowling is available by reservation only.
—
Claire Reid,
Journal Sentinel,
25 July 2023
Answer Man suspects only White bowlers rolled balls at Greenway and New Recreation, though the young men who manually set up the pins and returned the balls — known as pinsetters or pinboys — were likely to be Black.
—
John Kelly,
Washington Post,
10 June 2023
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Mayer Rus,
Architectural Digest,
5 Feb. 2026
Valastro has kept followers updated on his recovery after his at-home bowling alley’s pinsetter had a malfunction in September 2020.
—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
Today, the Historic Victor Bowling Alley is still operational with its manual pinsetters, a rare feature.
—
Jonathan Shikes,
The Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2024
Bowling alleys across the country are ditching traditional pinsetters — the machines that sweep away and reset pins — in favor of contraptions that employ string.
—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Nov. 2023
Due to pinsetter schedules, open bowling is available by reservation only.
—
Claire Reid,
Journal Sentinel,
25 July 2023
Answer Man suspects only White bowlers rolled balls at Greenway and New Recreation, though the young men who manually set up the pins and returned the balls — known as pinsetters or pinboys — were likely to be Black.
—
John Kelly,
Washington Post,
10 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Pinsetter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinsetter. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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