pinball

American  

[pin-bawl] / ˈpɪnˌbɔl /

noun

1. any of various games played on a sloping, glass-topped table presenting a field of colorful, knoblike target pins and rails, the object usually being to shoot a ball, driven by a spring, up a side passage and cause it to roll back down against these projections and through channels, which electrically flash or ring and record the score.

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pinball British  

/ ˈpɪnˌbɔːl /

noun

1. 1. a game in which the player shoots a small ball through several hazards on a table, electrically operated machine, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pinball machine

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Etymology

Origin of pinball

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; pin + ball ¹

Example Sentences

Like a pinball hurled into the the modern tech bubble, Duncan has spent the season trying to stay in the game without getting stuck or free-falling into oblivion too quickly.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

I would like for there to be activities or games such as scavenger hunts, escape rooms, billiards, pinball, karaoke, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey — you name it.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

The golden age of pinball eventually gave way to the age of videogames, first in their arcade-cabinet form and then as home consoles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Los Angeles is a sprawling, high-energy city where you can sleep, eat, and play without ever getting in a car — or pinball across neighborhoods chasing something new at every stop.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

“No. No way. No, no, no. What about that day I took your mother to the pinball museum? When was that?”

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day