ping-pong

1 of 3

verb

ˈpiŋ-ˌpäŋ How to pronounce ping-pong (audio)
-ˌpȯŋ
ping-ponged; ping-ponging; ping-pongs

ping-pong

2 of 3

noun

: something resembling a game of table tennis
especially : a series of usually verbal exchanges between two parties
a ping-pong of absurdist dialogue Lawrence O'Toole

Ping-Pong

3 of 3

trademark

ˈpiŋ-ˌpäŋ How to pronounce Ping-Pong (audio)
-ˌpȯŋ
used for table tennis

Examples of ping-pong in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Then, the clip quickly jumps into an intense ping-pong battle between Drake and J. Cole. Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 15 Nov. 2023 There was an actual Red Cross Center there, a building where men could relax by shooting pool or playing ping-pong. John Kelly, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2023 Photo: Ann Broder / VHT for The Corcoran Group The amenities include a ping-pong table, a sauna, dressing rooms, bike storage, community rooms, and a gym. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 10 Nov. 2023 There’s a ping-pong table, cornhole boards and a giant pile of foam building blocks for kids — all in use. Danielle Paquette, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023 Of course, if anyone wants to have a pickup game, whether basketball, ping-pong, billiards, dodgeball, kickball or handball, Salazar will be the first to volunteer. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2023 Dolphins can even determine the difference between a ping-pong ball and a golf ball — based on density. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 12 Oct. 2023 The popular hour, 45-minute winter drive between Green Bay and Gills Rock ping-pongs between the eastern and western shores of the peninsula. Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2023 The bullet bounced off the home’s front door and a ping-pong table before striking Frankie in the abdomen, the office said. Christina Maxouris, CNN, 4 Oct. 2023
Noun
Arrive early to eat a build-your-own pizza (choose from three base sauces and almost 40 toppings) and try your hand at a round of ping-pong (paddles are provided, and balls are 25 cents from a gumball machine). Olivia McCormack, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2023 Owner Nick Backlund — the main operator of the bar — has removed about 25% of the tables, making room for giant Jenga, outdoor ping-pong, cornhole and two bocce courts. Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 21 Mar. 2023 Her siren song of a stare, the way her eyes ping-pong across an iPhone screen one second and invite empathy the next. WIRED, 17 Mar. 2023 About half of the area is dedicated to kids’ activities: ice slides, ice putt-putt, ice checkers, ice ping-pong and other family-fun activities. Scott McMurren, Anchorage Daily News, 11 Mar. 2023 Boom during pandemic Pickleball, which combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong, began in 1965, but only recently skyrocketed. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 11 Mar. 2023 At twice the speed of sound, the ping-pong ball punches a hole straight through the paddle. Michael Koziol, IEEE Spectrum, 1 June 2018 After stumbling across a pair of boards from an old ping-pong table in the basement, he was inspired to bring them outside and use them as canvases. Steve Annear, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Mar. 2023 When a large earthquake strikes, the resulting shock waves, or seismic waves, can bounce back and forth from one side of the Earth to the other like a ping-pong ball, said Pham. Kasha Patel, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ping-pong.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1902, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ping-pong was in 1902

Dictionary Entries Near ping-pong

pingo

ping-pong

Ping-Pong

Cite this Entry

“Ping-pong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ping-pong. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

Ping-Pong

trademark
ˈpiŋ-ˌpäŋ,
-ˌpȯŋ
used for table tennis

More from Merriam-Webster on ping-pong

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