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Synonyms

gridiron

American  
[grid-ahy-ern] / ˈgrɪdˌaɪ ərn /

noun

  1. a football field.

  2. a utensil consisting of parallel metal bars on which to broil meat or other food.

  3. any framework or network resembling a gridiron.

  4. a structure above the stage of a theater, from which hung scenery and the like are manipulated.

verb (used with object)

  1. to mark off into squares or design with a network of squares.

gridiron British  
/ ˈɡrɪdˌaɪən /

noun

  1. a utensil of parallel metal bars, used to grill meat, fish, etc

  2. any framework resembling this utensil

  3. a framework above the stage in a theatre from which suspended scenery, lights, etc, are manipulated

    1. the field of play in American football

    2. an informal name for American football

    3. ( as modifier )

      a gridiron hero
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of gridiron

1250–1300; Middle English gridirne, gridir ( e ), gridere, variant of gridel griddle; variants in -irne, -ire, etc. are associated by folk etymology with ModE variant irne, ire iron

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.

Tickets for the gridiron finale start at around $6,000, making them out of reach for the vast majority of undocumented people, who tend to work in low-paying jobs.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

Phil Knight, who bankrolls Oregon, turned Nike into an intercontinental empire that transformed the Ducks into a gridiron behemoth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

The inside baseball, or in this case, football, makes this Netflix series a fascinating watch for NFL fans, but pulling back the curtain on the gridiron gods’ humanity is where it shines.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

Or a gridiron celebration of a certain toaster pastry?

From MarketWatch • Dec. 12, 2025

Aware of Odessa High’s frustration on the gridiron and the image problems it caused, the administration had tried to shift the focus of Odessa High away from football into other areas.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.