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.
Community members will have access to certain schoolyards in the Fort Worth Independent School District during after-school hours in an effort to increase accessibility to open spaces. Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Nov. 2025 Trotter said a major renovation that modernized the building included a central heating and cooling system powered by 30 vertical wells approximately 300 feet deep that are connected to high-efficiency heat pumps beneath the schoolyard parking area. Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025 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 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 15 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!