small forward

noun

: a basketball forward who is usually smaller than a power forward and whose play is characterized by quickness and scoring ability

Examples of small forward in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Grain Valley High School alum and Missouri Tigers forward Grace Slaughter is on the shortlist for an award honoring the best small forward women’s basketball player in the country. —Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2026

Strong was a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award, given to the top small forward, as a freshman in 2025. —Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026

The Chicago Bulls traded the fifth-year guard to the Timberwolves on Thursday a few hours before the deadline, sending Dosunmu and forward Julian Phillips to Minnesota for point guard Rob Dillingham, small forward Leonard Miller and four second-round draft picks. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026

The Heels can go 6-10, 6-10, 7-foot up front, with Jarin Stevenson, who primarily played power forward last year at Alabama, starting 14 games this season at small forward. —Cj Moore, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for small forward

• henceforward
• straightforward
• thenceforward
• carryforward
• equatorward
• shoreward