water polo

American  

noun

1. an aquatic game played by two teams of seven swimmers each, the object being to score goals by pushing, carrying, or passing an inflated ball and tossing it into the opponent's goal, defended by a goalkeeper.

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water polo British  

noun

1. a game played in water by two teams of seven swimmers in which each side tries to throw or propel an inflated ball into the opponents' goal

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Etymology

Origin of water polo

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

water polo

British cyclist and Olympic champion Sophie Capewell MBE, rugby players Lisa Neumann and Ellie Boatman and Australian water polo Olympian Tilly Kearns also shared their stories.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

Divers have said are keen to see the diving pools brought back into use and and water polo and underwater hockey players are hopeful the 50m pool could host matches and tournaments.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Sophia Panossian, a water polo player at the University of Michigan, urged viewers to help her “get ready with me” by checking Kalshi’s weather odds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026

In a statement, the school said it treated reports of inappropriate behavior on the water polo team “with urgency and seriousness,” that it complied with mandatory reporting obligations and cooperated with law enforcement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2026

“I rang the British Council in Enugu and I can’t believe our people there are still going off to play water polo and have cocktails at the Hotel Presidential! There’s a bloody war going on.”

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie