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.

A former Yale offensive lineman, he started his career as a high school football coach after an unsuccessful attempt to make the NFL and now describes himself as a “lifelong entrepreneur.”

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026

The Club World Cup last year was British football fans' first experience of volatile weather in the US.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

The final hearing has been scheduled to begin Feb. 8, after the end of the college football season.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

"I think it's really important that you learn how to deal with that if you're going to be on the side of a football pitch," he says.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Most of us didn’t even own sports shoes and played football barefoot to save our school shoes.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo