scissors kick

noun

: a swimming kick used especially in sidestrokes in which the legs move like scissors

Examples of scissors kick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This makes the dead bug more of a beginner-friendly core exercise, while the scissors kick tends to be a more intense, advanced movement. Jenny McCoy, SELF, 9 July 2022 Aduriz had, by his own estimation, tried a thousand scissor kicks — what the Spanish call a chilena — during his career. Rory Smith, New York Times, 19 May 2020 Tsonga played along, and the two went back and forth for a few exchanges before Paire double-faulted when going for an acrobatic scissor kick. Avi Creditor, SI.com, 18 June 2019 Seconds later, Shaw saw yellow when her right foot cruised into the mouth of Italian skipper Sara Gama on a scissor kick. Ravi Ubha, CNN, 14 June 2019 Gareth Bale scored two goals as a second-half substitute, including an outrageous overhead scissor kick, after Sadio Mane had cancelled out Karim Benzema's opener. Afp, chicagotribune.com, 26 May 2018 Frankfurt refused to buckle and deservedly equalized early in the second half with a scissor kick from Luka Jovic after Kevin-Prince Boateng set him up with his heel. Ciaran Fahey, chicagotribune.com, 1 Apr. 2018 Jessica and Sebastian commemorated their victories here with their father’s signature celebration: a jumping scissor kick. Ben Rothenberg, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2018 Pele, however, has heaped praise on Ronaldo, particularly for his spectacular scissor kick goal in victory over the Faroe Islands. SI.com, 4 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scissors kick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scissors kick was in 1902

Dictionary Entries Near scissors kick

Cite this Entry

“Scissors kick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scissors%20kick. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scissors kick

noun
: a swimming kick in which the legs move like scissors
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