pinball

verb

pin·​ball ˈpin-ˌbȯl How to pronounce pinball (audio)
pinballed; pinballing; pinballs

intransitive verb

: to move abruptly from one place to another

Examples of pinball in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Elijah Just rumbled toward the box and seemed to pinball around the Iranian defense. — Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2026 Freddie, as played with deft, punkish attitude by the delightful find Park Ji-Min, pinballs through the movie, mostly with a sense of recklessness. — Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 17 Feb. 2023 Her shock is conveyed in a progression that pinballs from C-sharp major to A major by way of an E dominant seventh—a wacky jolt worthy of Berlioz. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024 That contrast, between how meticulously Reichardt builds her story and the way her protagonist pinballs through his, yields a remarkably precise exploration of hubris as a self-destructive force. — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pinball

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pinball was in 1955

Phrases Containing pinball

Rhymes for pinball

See All Rhymes for pinball

Browse Nearby Words

pinaverdol
pinball
pinball machine
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pinball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinball. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pinball

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pinball

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