slalom

1 of 2

noun

sla·​lom ˈslä-ləm How to pronounce slalom (audio)
Synonyms of slalomnext
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
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Noun
The men’s World Cup season ends on Wednesday with the slalom title at stake. ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026 And Mike Schultz earned his fourth career medal — bronze in banked slalom — at the last race of his third and final Paralympics. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
There is no way to slalom around what $100 million that is dedicated to the recruitment of players will do to an athletic department, and university. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Feb. 2026 Competitors then take the skins off their skis before slaloming down the descent to the finish line. Ben Church, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026 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 3 Apr. 2026.

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

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