stickball

noun

stick·​ball ˈstik-ˌbȯl How to pronounce stickball (audio)
: baseball adapted for play in streets or small areas and using a broomstick and a lightweight ball

Examples of stickball in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The stickball games close three blocks: India Street between A and Ash streets; Columbia Street between Beech and Date streets; and State Street between Ash and Beech streets. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2023 The stickball tournament started in Little Italy but climbing costs don’t make things easy, said Joe Jennings, president of the local stickball organization. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2023 Oscar recalls one day as a kid playing stickball on his East Los Angeles street when the ball went into the street and he was nearly hit by a speeding car that left him lying on the ground. David Chiu, Peoplemag, 24 July 2023 Modern background Petitti, the son of a former New York City police officer who reminisced about playing stickball with his dad on the streets of Queens, played baseball at Division III Haverford College near Philadelphia. Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 28 Apr. 2023 On Saturday, there will be traditional Indian stickball led by Eli Hickman of the Mississippi Choctaw. Michelle Aslam, Dallas News, 28 Apr. 2023 As a child, Norman was quiet and obedient, too preoccupied with his studies to spend much time among the neighborhood bonditts, with their pranks and their passion for stickball. David Denby, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2022 Joe developed into a star in neighborhood stickball, in pickup games in Prospect Park and at Manual Training High School (later John Jay High School and now a building known as the John Jay Educational Complex, housing three small high schools). Bruce Weber, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2023 In the city, kids aren’t playing stickball. Rob Maaddi, ajc, 16 Apr. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stickball.' 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

1878, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stickball was in 1878

Dictionary Entries Near stickball

Cite this Entry

“Stickball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stickball. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stickball

noun
stick·​ball ˈstik-ˌbȯl How to pronounce stickball (audio)
: baseball played on the street or in a small area with a broomstick and a lightweight ball

More from Merriam-Webster on stickball

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