schoolyard

noun

school·​yard ˈskül-ˌyärd How to pronounce schoolyard (audio)
plural schoolyards
: the area next to or surrounding a school where students typically play games or sports
He organized a marbles tournament that could take place only in the schoolyard during recess.Jerry Spinelli
… there was a schoolboyish quality to the way he did it—as if he were trying to show that he was the biggest, toughest boy in the schoolyard.Elizabeth Drew
often used before another noun
schoolyard games
a schoolyard bully

Examples of schoolyard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
My children play American football in the schoolyard. Miami Herald, 5 Nov. 2025 But a nearby witness at the time of the crash, Peter Morris, now 90, shared his account of the accident, saying that Lowry landed near a schoolyard where 150 kids were, Toksvig explained to The Guardian. Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025 Outside the building there was the far corner of the schoolyard’s flower bed. Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025 While the schoolyard is in progress, the school’s environmental specialist and garden coordinator are getting students outside, growing plants and on field trips, while organizing curriculum with an environmental focus. Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for schoolyard

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of schoolyard was in 1586

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Schoolyard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schoolyard. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

schoolyard

noun
school·​yard
-ˌyärd
: the playground of a school

More from Merriam-Webster on schoolyard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!