How to Use airball in a Sentence

airball

1 of 2 verb

• Hezonja wound up with the ball and airballed a 3-point try from 26 feet.
  — Josh Robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, 13 Feb. 2018
• Lopez nearly airballed two free throws in a row, and then couldn't get over the ball over the rim on his own dunk attempt.
  — Joe Vardon, cleveland.com, 14 Dec. 2017
• Hill airballed a six-footer in the lane and threw an alley-oop pass to James on a 2-on-1 fast break that stayed in the arena, but that was the best that could be said for it.
  — Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, 15 Apr. 2018
• Welsh made only two of seven shots, had a three-pointer blocked and airballed a baseline jumper with about three minutes left.
  — Ben Bolch, latimes.com, 16 Dec. 2017
• Jon Axel Gudmundsson had already racked up six points in the final minute, but airballed a three.
  — Max Meyer, SI.com, 18 Mar. 2018
• Griffin airballed his attempt to retake the lead, but rather than call a timeout, Harden tried to beat the Pistons down the floor, took the ball to the basket and went at Drummond.
  — Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle, 22 Mar. 2018
• Detroit Mercy's response was a last-second heave that airballed short.
  — Charlie Hatch, Cincinnati.com, 7 Jan. 2018
• Right before halftime, the Bucks superstar airballed a free throw and his team had been sloppy, committing 11 first-half turnovers.
  — Matt Velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10 Nov. 2019
• Bol's next try airballed, with Bol leaning his head immediately like a golfer who knows his tee shot is headed for trouble.
  — Paul Coro, latimes.com, 10 Mar. 2018
• Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday missed a runner on the Pelicans' final possession of the fourth and Randolph airballed a fadeaway at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.
  — William Guillory, NOLA.com, 9 Dec. 2017
• There was no way Nike was letting Antetokounmpo walk out the door after airballing the Stephen Curry situation.
  — Jarrel Harris, SI.com, 2 Apr. 2018
• On the Hawks’ subsequent possession, however, former Magic center Dewayne Dedmon airballed a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
  — Josh Robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, 9 Feb. 2018

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air ball

2 of 2 noun

• Mills was 4 of 14, including an air ball on a 3-pointer that would have tied the score at the buzzer.
  — Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 29 Oct. 2017
• Wynn screamed from the bench and slapped both hands on the court in disgust following a three-point air ball.
  — Percy Allen, The Seattle Times, 28 Jan. 2018
• On the next trip, Lynch shrugged off her first air ball by scoring off an inbounds play.
  — Bob Narang, chicagotribune.com, 23 Dec. 2021
• Hawkins looked flustered and the crowd seemed to affect his shot causing an air ball or two.
  — Shreyas Laddha, courant.com, 10 Dec. 2021
• Self said of Cunliffe, who also shot an air ball from the corner.
  — Gary Bedore, kansascity, 29 Jan. 2018
• Instead of being stuck on the air ball, Lakhin followed his shot and found his way into the paint.
  — Keith Jenkins, The Enquirer, 15 Nov. 2021
• Too bad there is only the sound of swooshing as the dragonfly makes his air ball move.
  — Cori Brown, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 11 July 2021
• There were no air balls from the Sooners’ highest-profile recruit in a decade.
  — John Shinn, ajc, 16 Nov. 2017
• The last shot attempt of the game was a desperation, turn-around 3-point heave from Andrew Jones, an air ball.
  — Dallas News, 10 Mar. 2022
• Coach Billy Donovan drew it up for DeRozan to take the game-winner, but the veteran shot an air ball.
  — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2022
• Erik Poulsen then shot an air ball from 3 and Nate Renfro turned the ball over in the final minute when the Dons had another shot to cut into the six-point lead.
  — USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2018
• For investors in sports betting stocks, however, March Madness has been a bit of, well, an air ball.
  — Paul R. La Monica, CNN, 24 Mar. 2022
• But the Bulls battled back from a 13-point deficit with a little more than two minutes left and had a chance to win before DeRozan’s air ball as time expired.
  — Paul Sullivan, chicagotribune.com, 30 Oct. 2021
• One possession ended with an air ball as the shot clock crept toward zero.
  — Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, 21 Jan. 2018
• Franz Wagner, a sophomore guard, chucked up an air ball and Mike Smith, the transfer from Columbia, missed one, too.
  — Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press, 31 Mar. 2021
• Peddy scored driving the lane and after a Courtney Williams air ball was fouled by Elizabeth Williams with 3.8 seconds left above the key.
  — Jeff Metcalfe, The Arizona Republic, 8 Sep. 2021
• The attempt originally appeared to be an air ball, but upon further review the ball did nick the rim.
  — Adam Himmelsbach, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Feb. 2023
• Carr air balled a 3-pointer from the right wing, but Jamari Wheeler grabbed the offensive rebound and kicked it out to Garner, who nailed a corner 3.
  — USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2018
• His teammates, however, opened the game a combined 0 of 4 from the field, including an air ball on a 3-point attempt by Draymond Green.
  — Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 5 June 2019
• Deer Park’s defense sat back and watched the Wildcats shoot an air ball, another Wildcat leaped into the air, saving the ball from going out of bounds.
  — Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 21 Nov. 2019
• Lynch likened it to a basketball player with a penchant for shooting the occasional air ball.
  — Eric Branch, SFChronicle.com, 19 Dec. 2020
• Soon UConn was overwhelming its guests, moving the ball unselfishly and forcing Tulsa air balls.
  — Mike Anthony, courant.com, 18 Jan. 2018
• In a game filled with air balls, messy defensive scrambles and poor form in boxing out defenders in the paint for rebounds, the Baltimore region team pulled away late and played tough defense to hold on to the lead.
  — Phil Davis, baltimoresun.com, 26 Aug. 2019
• During the team's prolonged scrimmage, Barrett missed jumper after jumper -- including two air balls -- and got frustrated with himself at times.
  — Special To The Oregonian, OregonLive.com, 11 Apr. 2018
• But Diabate was fearless and attacked Cockburn on Michigan’s first two offensive possessions, scoring down the right side of the lane after tossing up an air ball from the left.
  — Michael Cohen, Detroit Free Press, 15 Jan. 2022
• Edney, the legs and punch of this team all season, sprained his right wrist Saturday against Oklahoma State, did not participate in early warm-ups Monday and shot a lifeless air ball from five feet away in his only pregame shot.
  — Tim Kawakami, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2020

Last Updated: 1 Nov 2024