schoolyard

noun

school·​yard ˈskül-ˌyärd 

plural schoolyards

: the area next to or surrounding a school where students typically play games or sports

He organized a marbles tournament that could take place only in the schoolyard during recess.

—Jerry Spinelli

… there was a schoolboyish quality to the way he did it—as if he were trying to show that he was the biggest, toughest boy in the schoolyard.

—Elizabeth Drew

—often used before another noun

schoolyard games

a schoolyard bully

Examples of schoolyard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Spota was the working prosecutor on the case of Johnny Pius, a young boy who was found beaten and asphyxiated in his Smithtown, Long Island schoolyard in April 1979. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025

Survivor host Jeff Probst explains why show stopped doing schoolyard picks to determine tribes Blind ambition Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2025

Then there are the vitriolic anonymous posts that take on the shrill tone and tenor of a schoolyard back and forth. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2025

Social media companies say that bullying has always been a problem and will continue whether via schoolyard taunts, crank phone calls, or their platforms. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for schoolyard

• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• courtyard
• debarred
• diehard

Kids Definition

schoolyard

noun

school·​yard

-ˌyärd

: the playground of a school