kickball

American  

[kik-bawl] / ˈkɪkˌbɔl /

noun

kickballs plural

1. a children's game, similar to baseball, in which a large inflated ball, as a soccer ball, is kicked instead of being batted.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• kickballs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of kickball

First recorded in 1970–75; kick + ball ¹

Example Sentences

Kaczanowski has also done away with kickball, which became a showcase for those who were playing in a local league.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 5, 2025

Brian grew up playing baseball, hide-and-seek and kickball with nearly a dozen neighbor kids — staying outdoors until it grew dark under the watchful eye of a rotating cast of parents.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2025

Along with chess matches, San Quentin is hosting kickball tournaments and flag football games as a way to foster more collegial relations.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2024

At a game of kickball, “Peanut vendor claps twice. Mid-celebration a boy in suede shoes steals the kickball, and a chase ensues.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 30, 2023

An hour later, your dad came home with your sister to find you alone, crying over the kitten, whose belly had swollen to the size of a kickball.

From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead