stickball
noun
stick·ball
ˈstik-ˌbȯl 
: baseball adapted for play in streets or small areas and using a broomstick and a lightweight ball
Examples of stickball in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The stickball tournament started in Little Italy but climbing costs don’t make things easy, said Joe Jennings, president of the local stickball organization.
—
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2023
Oscar recalls one day as a kid playing stickball on his East Los Angeles street when the ball went into the street and he was nearly hit by a speeding car that left him lying on the ground.
—David Chiu, Peoplemag, 24 July 2023
Modern background Petitti, the son of a former New York City police officer who reminisced about playing stickball with his dad on the streets of Queens, played baseball at Division III Haverford College near Philadelphia.
—Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 28 Apr. 2023
On Saturday, there will be traditional Indian stickball led by Eli Hickman of the Mississippi Choctaw.
—Michelle Aslam, Dallas News, 28 Apr. 2023
As a child, Norman was quiet and obedient, too preoccupied with his studies to spend much time among the neighborhood bonditts, with their pranks and their passion for stickball.
—David Denby, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2022
Joe developed into a star in neighborhood stickball, in pickup games in Prospect Park and at Manual Training High School (later John Jay High School and now a building known as the John Jay Educational Complex, housing three small high schools).
—Bruce Weber, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2023
In the city, kids aren’t playing stickball.
—Rob Maaddi, ajc, 16 Apr. 2021
In the city, kids aren't playing stickball.
—Rob Maaddi, Star Tribune, 16 Apr. 2021
See More
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2023
Oscar recalls one day as a kid playing stickball on his East Los Angeles street when the ball went into the street and he was nearly hit by a speeding car that left him lying on the ground.
—David Chiu, Peoplemag, 24 July 2023
Modern background Petitti, the son of a former New York City police officer who reminisced about playing stickball with his dad on the streets of Queens, played baseball at Division III Haverford College near Philadelphia.
—Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 28 Apr. 2023
On Saturday, there will be traditional Indian stickball led by Eli Hickman of the Mississippi Choctaw.
—Michelle Aslam, Dallas News, 28 Apr. 2023
As a child, Norman was quiet and obedient, too preoccupied with his studies to spend much time among the neighborhood bonditts, with their pranks and their passion for stickball.
—David Denby, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2022
Joe developed into a star in neighborhood stickball, in pickup games in Prospect Park and at Manual Training High School (later John Jay High School and now a building known as the John Jay Educational Complex, housing three small high schools).
—Bruce Weber, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2023
In the city, kids aren’t playing stickball.
—Rob Maaddi, ajc, 16 Apr. 2021
In the city, kids aren't playing stickball.
—Rob Maaddi, Star Tribune, 16 Apr. 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stickball.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1878, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near stickball
Cite this Entry
“Stickball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stickball. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
stickball
noun
stick·ball
ˈstik-ˌbȯl
: baseball played on the street or in a small area with a broomstick and a lightweight ball
More from Merriam-Webster on stickball
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stickball
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