walk-on

noun

1
: a minor part (as in a dramatic production)
also : an actor having such a part
2
: a college athlete who tries out for an athletic team without having been recruited or offered a scholarship

Examples of walk-on in a Sentence

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.
Injuries hurt, with the Trojans down to a walk-on running back, stunning for a program built on Heisman Trophy rushers. Pete Sampson, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025 Redshirt freshman walk-on King Miller had a breakout game against Michigan with 18 carries for 158 yards and a touchdown and rattled off a career-long rush of 49 yards. Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025 Eli successfully played with other walk-on hopefuls and drew the attention of coaches and players alike. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025 Just as Ted Lasso began life as a promo for NBC’s English Premier League coverage, Chad Powers crawled out of a gag on Eli’s Places, Eli Manning’s post-retirement ESPN+ program, in which the former Giants quarterback hides under prosthetics to pose as an aspiring Penn State walk-on. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for walk-on

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of walk-on was in 1902

Cite this Entry

“Walk-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walk-on. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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