How to Use dumbbell in a Sentence

dumbbell

noun
  • I feel like a dumbbell for making such a stupid mistake.
  • Hold a dumbbell close to your chest.
    — Will Stone, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Hold one dumbbell in each hand and place them above each hip.
    — Danielle McNally, Cosmopolitan, 9 Dec. 2016
  • Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand.
    — Leoni Jesner, Health, 1 Nov. 2025
  • Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand.
    — Leoni Jesner, Health, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Stand up tall and squeeze your glutes, with dumbbells at your sides.
    — NBC News, 17 May 2018
  • Hold a 3-pound dumbbell with both hands.
    — Health Editorial Team, Health, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Hold a 3-pound dumbbell with both hands.
    — Health Editorial Team, Health, 20 Dec. 2025
  • Move your back knee to the floor and press both dumbbells above your head.
    — Dominique Fluker, Essence, 26 Mar. 2024
  • Hold both ends of the dumbbell in each hand in front of your left thigh.
    — Dana Santas, CNN, 3 Aug. 2020
  • Grab a dumbbell in each hand and hold them at arm's length next to your chest.
    — Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2022
  • Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
    — Fox News, 20 Apr. 2017
  • Lift arms straight up so the dumbbells are in line with shoulders.
    — Rozalynn S. Frazier, Health.com, 9 Aug. 2019
  • Sit back against it with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing up.
    — Bari Lieberman, Redbook, 10 May 2017
  • Bring the dumbbells up to your shoulders, palms in.
    — Greg Presto, Outside, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Slow roll the dumbbell from the tips of the fingers to hand and squeeze.
    — Dr. Michael Daignault, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2023
  • Take your dumbbell press to the floor for a shoulder-safe chest pump.
    — Brett Williams, Men's Health, 7 Dec. 2022
  • Start in a straight-arm plank, with each hand holding a dumbbell.
    — Mallory Creveling, Health, 23 Feb. 2023
  • Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and rest them right under your hip bones.
    — Christa Sgobba, SELF, 2 Jan. 2022
  • One day, my aunt grabbed a dumbbell and jerked her elbow back with force.
    — Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2022
  • Hold a dumbbell with both hands and raise it overhead with your arms straight.
    — Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 28 Dec. 2025
  • Hold a dumbbell with both hands and raise it overhead with your arms straight.
    — Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 1 July 2026
  • Lie back on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand and place your feet flat on the floor.
    — Jakob Roze, Health, 9 Jan. 2026
  • There's huge dumbbells and brick-style cellphones, too.
    — Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Lift the dumbbells to shoulder height.
    — Danielle Zickl, Health, 16 Dec. 2025
  • Hold a pair of dumbbells at the crease in your hips, resting the weights on your body.
    — Alexa Tucker, SELF, 11 Oct. 2017
  • Twist your torso to the right, and touch your dumbbell to the ground next to your body.
    — Jennifer Cohen, Health, 18 June 2023
  • Grab a medium dumbbell and grip the middle of the weight in both hands.
    — Stefani Sassos, Ms, Rdn, Cso, Cdn, Nasm-Cpt, Good Housekeeping, 20 May 2022
  • Hold a 5-pound medicine ball (or dumbbell) between both hands.
    — Health Editorial Team, Health, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Hold a 5-pound medicine ball (or dumbbell) between both hands.
    — Health Editorial Team, Health, 20 Dec. 2025

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

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