variants
often Rugby
: a football game in which play is continuous without time-outs or substitutions, interference and forward passing are not permitted, and kicking, dribbling, lateral passing, and tackling are featured
Examples of rugby in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This wasn't like in 2022 when former Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer drew the Texas coaching staff's ire for comparing the Longhorns' style of play to the sport of rugby.
—
Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
Equestrian and rugby require larger rosters, so a school with a slight imbalance might opt for a smaller addition.
—Maura Carey, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Thopavenoir Striped Rugby Shirt The bold blue-and-orange stripes give this rugby shirt a fresh, fashion-forward feel.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2026
Reece Walsh, an Australia rugby league international, does likewise.
—Colin Millar, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rugby
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.
Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
Equestrian and rugby require larger rosters, so a school with a slight imbalance might opt for a smaller addition.
—Maura Carey, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Thopavenoir Striped Rugby Shirt The bold blue-and-orange stripes give this rugby shirt a fresh, fashion-forward feel.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2026
Reece Walsh, an Australia rugby league international, does likewise.
—Colin Millar, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rugby
Cite this Entry
“Rugby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rugby. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rugby
noun
rug·by
ˈrəg-bē 
often capitalized
: a football game between two teams in which play is continuous and the team that has the ball may run with it, kick it, or pass it sideways or backward but is not allowed to block or make forward passes
Etymology
named for Rugby School in England where the game was first played
Geographical Definition
Rugby
geographical name
Rug·by
ˈrəg-bē
town on the Avon River in Warwickshire, central England population 71,000
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
