basketball
noun
bas·ket·ball
ˈba-skit-ˌbȯl 
often attributive
: a usually indoor court game between two teams of usually five players each who score by tossing an inflated ball through a raised goal
also
: the ball used in this game
Examples of basketball in a Sentence
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Boise State men’s basketball has once again dipped into the transfer portal to find a short-term point guard.
—
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2026
But her heart drifted toward other activities — usually whatever her brother Treston Brazile was doing, like baseball, soccer, and basketball.
—Charles Baggarly
april 7, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
The head coach of Michigan men’s basketball finally broke into a wide smile during the final seconds, holding a lone finger in the air at the end.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Michigan defeated UConn 69-63 in the NCAA men's basketball national championship game on Monday night, ending a 26-year national championship drought for the Big Ten.
—CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
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Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2026
But her heart drifted toward other activities — usually whatever her brother Treston Brazile was doing, like baseball, soccer, and basketball.
—Charles Baggarly
april 7, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
The head coach of Michigan men’s basketball finally broke into a wide smile during the final seconds, holding a lone finger in the air at the end.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Michigan defeated UConn 69-63 in the NCAA men's basketball national championship game on Monday night, ending a 26-year national championship drought for the Big Ten.
—CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for basketball
Cite this Entry
“Basketball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basketball. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
basketball
noun
bas·ket·ball
-ˌbȯl
: a court game in which each of two teams tries to toss an inflated ball through a raised goal
also
: the ball used in this game
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