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contact sport

American  

noun

  1. any sport in which physical contact between players is an accepted part of play, as football, boxing, or hockey.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

No matter the growth and investment, there is always a risk in playing a contact sport.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

Alexi Lalas, once a bruising center back, looks at politics the same way he looks at soccer, as a contact sport in which you fight to the end, then shake hands.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2024

Probably, but referees are allowed to use their discretion in a contact sport.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2023

The regional fare includes dragon boat racing, sepaktakraw — sometimes called “kick volleyball” — wushu, a Chinese martial art, and kabaddi, a popular contact sport on the Indian subcontinent.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 23, 2023

Once again, Mom explained that it was a tough contact sport.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge