schoolyard

noun

school·​yard ˈskül-ˌyärd 

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

Tillman was the first selection in a schoolyard pick ’em of NFL players past and present being divided into teams, not for a scrimmage or football game, but for an exercise in which Tillman and other NFL stars would be tasked with making a short film. —Brian Welk, IndieWire, 10 Mar. 2026

Lox Pratt replaces Tom Felton as Harry’s schoolyard nemesis Draco Malfoy. —K.j. Yossman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2026

The bodies of three Palestinians killed by extremist Israeli settlers were placed in a schoolyard in Abu Falah, a village near Ramallah, wrapped in Palestinian flags. —Fadwa Hodali, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026

That's because she and the next person on our list were not selected for teams on a day 2 schoolyard pick 'em. —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for schoolyard

• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• courtyard
• debarred
• diehard

Kids Definition

schoolyard

noun

school·​yard

-ˌyärd

: the playground of a school