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.

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

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2026

Fair play to all the countries that are going, everyone will enjoy it, but football at this level is now being used as a cash cow.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

"We dressed it in a football kit and it sold really well," said CEO Luo Bin.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

Three decades after he left his bar job to return to football, the German now faces what could be the toughest test of his career - to bring the World Cup back to England.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

An eighth grader in a football jersey lurches against my side, and I mumble an apology a split second after he’s gone.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day