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
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.
Veda’s days were filled with stickball, piano lessons and ballet. — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 The bat-on-ball skills were passed down through extensive training utilizing games like stickball and ping pong. — Sam Blum, New York Times, 2 June 2025 Some days, the police closed the block off from cars, and children came out to play stickball, and skelly, a game reminiscent of marbles. — Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 6 June 2026 But about an hour later, the kids separated into teams for a game resembling backyard stickball. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for stickball

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stickball was in 1878

Rhymes for stickball

See All Rhymes for stickball

Browse Nearby Words

stick-back
stickball
stick bean
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stickball

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