stickball

American  

[stik-bawl] / ˈstɪkˌbɔl /

noun

1. a form of baseball played in the streets, on playgrounds, etc., in which a rubber ball and a broomstick or the like are used in place of a baseball and bat.

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Other Word Forms

• stickballer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of stickball

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25; (broom)stick + ball ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stickball

His “Stickballers,” depicting children playing stickball, shares a throughline with other artists depicting scenes of everyday life in the collection, including Ernie Barnes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

In addition to having peer recovery specialists who are Cherokees, the recovery curriculum includes traditional activities like bead making, talking circles and stickball.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 13, 2023

He is a middle-schooler who invites his buddies over to play stickball, and when a window breaks he immediately points at everyone else.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 6, 2022

This is what people used to do when they played stickball and out in the front yard.

From New York Times ● Mar. 18, 2022

We were playing stickball on 122nd Street, and a foul ball went up on the flat roof over the church vestibule.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers