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

But fans of schoolyard intrigue (and thus literary scandal) will be disappointed by the biography’s respectful sense of duty toward its subject. —Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026

But fans of schoolyard intrigue (and thus literary scandal) will be disappointed by the biography’s respectful sense of duty toward its subject. —Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2026

Plug-in solar can be installed on balconies, decks, in backyards, on patios, and even in schoolyards. —Lauren Phillips, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026

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

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