often capitalized
: 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
One of his friends, at the time a Colorado professional rugby player, was shot in the back.
—
Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 19 Sep. 2025
While more interested in rugby, music, and street life, his encounter with Monika, who comes from a more middle-class background, opens his eyes to literature, culture, and a different way of seeing the world.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
Last season, former Bachelor star Joey Graziadei took the win with his partner Jenna Johnson, while women's rugby star Ilona Maher and partner Alan Bersten were the runners-up.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Bold stripes, another hallmark of the rugby shirt, are also gaining ground among the street-style crowd, as are polo collars, meaning this is one of the easiest ways to buy into several of the season’s biggest trends.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rugby
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Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 19 Sep. 2025
While more interested in rugby, music, and street life, his encounter with Monika, who comes from a more middle-class background, opens his eyes to literature, culture, and a different way of seeing the world.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
Last season, former Bachelor star Joey Graziadei took the win with his partner Jenna Johnson, while women's rugby star Ilona Maher and partner Alan Bersten were the runners-up.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Bold stripes, another hallmark of the rugby shirt, are also gaining ground among the street-style crowd, as are polo collars, meaning this is one of the easiest ways to buy into several of the season’s biggest trends.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rugby
Cite this Entry
“Rugby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rugby. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.
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
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