basketball

[bas-kit-bawl, bah-skit-] / ˈbæs kɪtˌbɔl, ˈbɑ skɪt- /

NOUN

team sport

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ball

STRONG

hoops

WEAK

B-ball brownball

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.

Police arrested several unruly fans near Madison Square Garden in New York Wednesday night, where basketball fans gathered for Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Spurs and the Knicks, an AFP photographer observed.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

I have periodically had the same “problem” with NFL, college football, and college basketball games.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2026

Recently acquired tax records also show that the university spent $6.1 million to bring in basketball coach Eric Musselman.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

Sports began for me early, after I saw a photo of my dad boxing in the Navy during World War II. I played all sports—football, basketball, baseball, track and swimming.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

She’s the type to sweetly agree to a toddler’s request to play them in basketball, only to then cross them up and dunk on them.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer