lob

verb

lobbed; lobbing

transitive verb

1

: to let hang heavily : droop

2

: to throw, hit, or propel easily or in a high arc

3

: to direct (something, such as a question or comment) so as to elicit a response

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move slowly and heavily

b

: to move in an arc

2

: to hit a tennis ball easily in a high arc

Synonyms of lob

• throw
• hurl
• toss
• fling

Examples of lob in a Sentence

She lobbed a throw to the pitcher.

The soldier lobbed a grenade into the bunker.

He lobbed the ball over his opponent's head.

Recent Examples on the Web

Lampard’s non-goal England were 2-1 down to Germany in the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup, Lampard lobbed goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, the ball bounced off the underside of the bar and landed well behind the goal line. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 June 2026

Hooliganism, at first observed in British fans, has intensified since the 1960s, and numerous matches have been canceled because of fans invading the pitch, lobbing fireworks, and setting off flares. —Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 June 2026

One of the main criticisms lobbed at DeGette in the primary campaign so far has focused on the number of her bills that have become law. —Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 31 May 2026

As the prominence of fracking attests, the critics of alternative energies are lobbing potshots from quite the glass house. —John Tamny, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

lob a loosely hanging object

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for lob

• blob
• bob
• cob
• daub
• fob
• glob
• gob
• hob
• job
• knob
• mob
• rob

Kids Definition

lob

1 of 2 verb

ˈläb 

lobbed; lobbing

: to send (as a ball) in a high arc by hitting or throwing easily

lob

2 of 2 noun

: a lobbed throw or shot (as in tennis)