hurling
Americannoun
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the act of throwing or casting, especially with great force or strength.
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a traditionally Irish game played by two teams of 15 players each on a rectangular field 140 yards (128 meters) long, points being scored by hitting, pushing, carrying, or throwing the leather-covered ball between the goalposts at the opponent's end of the field with a wide-bladed stick resembling a hockey stick.
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(in parts of Britain, especially Cornwall) a traditional, rural game in which two groups of players, using methods similar to those of football, vie for possession of a ball or other object and try to carry or hurl it into their own parish, village, farm, etc.
noun
Etymology
Origin of hurling
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at hurl, -ing 1
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.
When hurling down the ball with a wobbling seam rather than looking to hoop it, some deliveries jag unpredictably off the surface after pitching.
From BBC • Jan. 1, 2026
The England midfielder's 57th-minute goal prompted Emery to roar in delight before ripping off his jacket and hurling it into the air.
From Barron's • Dec. 21, 2025
What they refrain from hurling in that moment, or at any point throughout “Welcome to Derry,” is a dehumanizing slur splashed all over the pages of the original “It.”
From Salon • Dec. 8, 2025
Despite running nearly 2½ hours, it’s too speedy to accomplish everything it hopes, but the plotting is a blast, toying with expectations by hurling accusations and confessions at us when we aren’t expecting them.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025
In Eleanor's head, he burst open the door by hurling a ball of fire at it.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
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.
