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.
Other images include military veteran and activist Grace Thorpe’s photos from around Asia as a recruiter in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II and soldiers from the 120th Engineer Combat Battalion playing a game of stickball in Iraq. Nathan Pugh, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2025 Kemp sees a similar process in history with stickball and baseball. Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Jan. 2025 In one scene, characters play a traditional game of stickball and have poignant discussions about Indigenous identity. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025 Like with skateboarding, Kemp says, many leaders saw stickball as a nuisance that disrupted commerce. Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Jan. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Stickball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stickball. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.

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

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