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 father would fight kids in the schoolyard, all of them white, who said Mantle was better than Mays, but remember the yellowed icon of that era is an over-the-shoulder basket catch, defense with Mays facing away from us. Natan Last, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 None of them ever absorbed the old schoolyard lesson, don’t let your mouth write a check your ass can’t cash. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 18 Sep. 2025 Underly spoke at the 2025 State of Education address in Madison This year's biggest schoolyard bully? Cleo Krejci, jsonline.com, 18 Sep. 2025 His banter with deadpan Principal Woodman (John Sylvester White) and his loving, eye-rolling wife Julie (Marcia Strassman) brought the series full circle, blending schoolyard shenanigans with heartfelt adult comedy. Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 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 23 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

schoolyard

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

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