variants
also ricochetted
as in bounced
to strike and fly off at an angle
the ball ricocheted off the fielder's glove and went over the fence for a home run
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of ricocheted
Judge connected with two outs in the fifth, a 383-foot drive that ricocheted off the roof of an ambulance parked in the tunnel just inside the foul pole.
—
CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Defender Luka Vuskovic’s long-range shot ricocheted off a defender, and Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas was unable to stop it from hitting the back of the net.
—Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
The Thorns answered six minutes later when Pietra Tordin followed through with her initial shot, which ricocheted off the right post to equalize the match.
—Amanda Vogt, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Miles, who had only four points at halftime after a triple-double in the first-round win over UC San Diego, had a shot to win the game in regulation, but her 3-point attempt at the buzzer ricocheted off the back of the rim.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
As if in slow motion, the ball ricocheted off the rim and into the backboard before dropping cleanly through the net.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
Miles, who had only four points at halftime, had a shot to win the game in regulation, but her 3-point attempt at the buzzer ricocheted off the back of the rim.
—Dallas Morning News, 22 Mar. 2026
Reaves chucked up a line drive that ricocheted off the front of the rim and toward his left.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
The exchange ricocheted across Reddit and social media, cementing him, for some viewers, as a provocateur skating too close to the edge.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Mar. 2026
CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Defender Luka Vuskovic’s long-range shot ricocheted off a defender, and Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas was unable to stop it from hitting the back of the net.
—Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
The Thorns answered six minutes later when Pietra Tordin followed through with her initial shot, which ricocheted off the right post to equalize the match.
—Amanda Vogt, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Miles, who had only four points at halftime after a triple-double in the first-round win over UC San Diego, had a shot to win the game in regulation, but her 3-point attempt at the buzzer ricocheted off the back of the rim.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
As if in slow motion, the ball ricocheted off the rim and into the backboard before dropping cleanly through the net.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
Miles, who had only four points at halftime, had a shot to win the game in regulation, but her 3-point attempt at the buzzer ricocheted off the back of the rim.
—Dallas Morning News, 22 Mar. 2026
Reaves chucked up a line drive that ricocheted off the front of the rim and toward his left.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
The exchange ricocheted across Reddit and social media, cementing him, for some viewers, as a provocateur skating too close to the edge.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ricocheted
Verb
-
Then, in first-half stoppage time, Brazil pounced on the counterattack after a Croatia corner kick bounced to the feet of Matheus Cunha.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Campaign sponsors hoped that anyone unaware of her story — an innocent young woman killed by a man who’d bounced in and out of prison — might see her face, find the security video of her brutal death, and be moved.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The right-hander rebounded with back-to-back scoreless frames in the second and third, but New York put up three more runs in the fourth on a two-run home run by Semien and a solo shot by Alvarez.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
João Cancelo made a nice run through the left side of the area with a couple of cutback moves to get past defenders but his shot was parried by keeper Juan Muso and rebounded in off Lewandowski's shoulder.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ricocheted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ricocheted. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
