stress fracture

American

noun

Pathology.

a hairline crack in a bone, especially of a foot or leg, caused by repeated or prolonged stress and often occurring in runners, dancers, and soldiers march fracture.

stress fracture Scientific

See under fracture

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.

Grealish, on loan from Manchester City, is likely to undergo surgery after suffering the stress fracture in Everton's 1-0 win against Aston Villa on January 18.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

Dowden returned to the Strictly line-up in 2024, but was forced to withdraw from the show after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in her foot.

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2025

A recurring stress fracture in his elbow has required multiple operations, while a stress fracture in his back ruled him out of an entire summer in 2022.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2025

Soreness in Archer's right elbow on the tour of South Africa was revealed to be a stress fracture in early 2020.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2025

Starting center Dereck Lively II has been out since mid-January with a stress fracture in his right ankle, and his replacement, Daniel Gafford, suffered a right knee sprain Feb. 10.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2025

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