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

In the video footage, Jeffrey is seen riding from the schoolyard toward the walkway on a scooter, police said. —Megan Forrester, ABC News, 13 May 2025

Listen to this article A 14-year-old suspect was arrested for murder Tuesday in the shocking stray-bullet slay of a 16-year-old girl sparked by a clash between gangs outside a Bronx schoolyard, police said. —Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 13 May 2025

But staff have found unexploded grenades in the schoolyard. —Sophie Neiman, Christian Science Monitor, 5 May 2025

That same level of craftsmanship extends to varsity jackets, transcending their schoolyard roots to become coveted items in contemporary fashion. —Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

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