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

Imagine doing Freeze Tag or Duck-Duck-Goose in a gym or schoolyard! —Billboard Korea, Billboard, 26 Nov. 2025

As the title suggests, the friends don’t have the easiest go of it; what starts as an innocent schoolyard accident for Doug leads to a life of hurt, both for him and Kayleen. —Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2025

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

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