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.

But it is basketball - not football - that New Yorkers are besotted with right now.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

The New York Knicks were within an inch of pulling off a basketball miracle, climbing bucket by bucket out of a 29-point deficit in the second half.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

The unrest happened around Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, where the Knicks basketball game was played to a sellout crowd that included US megastar Taylor Swift.

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

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