Definitions

football

[foot-bawl] / ˈfʊtˌbɔl /

NOUN

a sport

Synonyms

STRONGEST

soccer

STRONG

rugby

WEAK

American football Association football Canadian football grid game gridiron pastime the pigskin sport

NOUN

the ball used in football

Synonyms

STRONG

moleskin oval peanut pigskin pineapple porker sphere watermelon

WEAK

inflated oval regulation football

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football men's referee of the year, was barred from entering the country at Miami International Airport and is currently in Turkey.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

Football remains by far Iran's most popular sport and millions are expected to follow the team's progress in North America.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Sixty years ago Monday, the fledgling American Football League and the rival National Football League announced plans to merge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

“Football’s all of a sudden starting to reckon with the new climate realities,” said Elliot Arthur-Worsop, founding director of Football For Future, a pioneering U.K. nonprofit and co-publisher of “Pitches in Peril.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

Mr. Tagleiber, the athletic director, blew a whistle and yelled, “All right, listen up. Football here, field hockey there, cheerleading there. Do it!”

From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli