slalom

1 of 2

noun

sla·​lom ˈslä-ləm How to pronounce slalom (audio)
often attributive
1
: skiing in a zigzag or wavy course between upright obstacles (such as flags)
2
: a timed race (as on skis or in an automobile or kayak) over a winding or zigzag course past a series of flags or markers
broadly : movement over a zigzag route

slalom

2 of 2

verb

slalomed; slaloming; slaloms

intransitive verb

: to move over a zigzag course in or as if in a slalom

Examples of slalom in a Sentence

Verb slalomed through the crowd with the ease of an Olympic skier
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.
Noun
But, when mastered, can be used to navigate hairpins slickly or slalom one’s way down a twisty road. Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 10 July 2025 Softball and canoe slalom competitions will be held in Oklahoma City. Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025
Verb
The 15-year-old has shown extraordinary confidence and talent against top European opposition, slaloming through challenges and winning two penalties with his blend of acceleration and technique. Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025 Capturing that level of precision usually requires custom foley work, but in the video below you can see how Firefly generated sound effects like race cars turning, an elephant trumpeting, or a skier slaloming downhill using just text prompts and the voice reference tool. Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 22 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for slalom

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Norwegian slalåm, literally, sloping track

First Known Use

Noun

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slalom was in 1921

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slalom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slalom. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

slalom

noun
sla·​lom
ˈsläl-əm
1
: skiing in a zigzag or wavy course between upright poles
2
: a timed skiing race over such a course

More from Merriam-Webster on slalom

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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