walk-on

American  

[wawk-on, -awn] / ˈwɔkˌɒn, -ˌɔn /

noun

1. Also called walking part.  a small part in a play or other entertainment, especially one without speaking lines.

2. an entertainer or actor who plays such a part.

3. an athlete trying out for a team who has not been drafted, specifically invited, scouted, awarded a scholarship, etc.

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walk-on British  

noun

1. 1. a small part in a play or theatrical entertainment, esp one without any lines

   2. ( as modifier )

      a walk-on part

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adjective

1. (of an aircraft or air service) having seats to be booked immediately before departure rather than in advance

Etymology

Origin of walk-on

First recorded in 1900–05; noun use of verb phrase walk on

Example Sentences

Unable to land a scholarship coming out of high school, Jones used his academic success to enroll at UCLA, where he played as a walk-on for a strong Bruin team coached by Sigi Schmid.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

“If I did nothing but eat and lift for six months,” a football fan might fantasize, “I could be a walk-on at the next Jets training camp.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

That makes me excited to wake up and do the whole, like, walk-on or whatever.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

Sakai gained the support of the Alexandra Palace crowd with a long, exuberant walk-on and was a showman who played up to the fans throughout his match.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

In the fall she went to New York to begin the upward grind—understudy, walk-on parts, shoestring-theaters, and roles in outright turkeys.

From Sentiment, Inc. by Anderson, Poul William

Related Words

• artist
• character
• clown
• comedian
• entertainer
• performer
• player
• star
• villain