handball

noun

hand·​ball ˈhan(d)-ˌbȯl How to pronounce handball (audio)
1
: a game played in a walled court or against a single wall or board by two or four players who use their hands to strike the ball
2
: a small rubber ball used in handball

Examples of handball 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.
As recently as the several-year stretch from 2018 to 2021, Sporting KC twice finished atop the Western Conference standings of MLS (and was a proper handball and penalty-kick call away from finishing first in 2021). Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2025 Soliman was a handball player with Cairo’s Zamalek club, Mortada Mansour, the club’s former chairman, wrote on Facebook. Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 3 June 2025 Mexico’s 77th-minute winner through Edson Álvarez was originally ruled offside before being allowed following a review, but Pochettino took greatest issue with a handball no-call against defender Jorge Sánchez that had occurred about 10 minutes prior. Martin Rogers, New York Times, 7 July 2025 Flamengo had new life after a handball by Michael Olise inside the box resulted in a Flamengo penalty kick in the 53rd minute. Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 29 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for handball

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of handball was in 1704

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Cite this Entry

“Handball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handball. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

handball

noun
hand·​ball -ˌbȯl How to pronounce handball (audio)
1
: a game played in a walled court or against a single wall or board by two or four players who use their hands to strike a ball
2
: the ball used in handball

More from Merriam-Webster on handball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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