Sports word list

Physical exercise performed rhythmically to improve cardiovascular fitness.

“The announcer mentioned aerobics during the event, and the spelling round immediately got tougher.”

Someone who competes without being paid.

“That was an amateur move and you know it.”

A piece of specialized equipment used in a sport, especially gymnastics.

“Apparatus was familiar from sports, but the exact spelling still caused a timeout.”

Sports or activities performed in or on water.

“Aquatics was familiar from sports, but the exact spelling still caused a timeout.”

The sport of shooting arrows at targets.

“Archery camp changed his whole personality.”

A person trained in sport.

“The athlete pulled up limping.”

Physical qualities such as strength, speed, coordination, and agility.

“Everyone had heard of athleticism, but only one player trusted the spelling.”

A swimming stroke performed on the back with alternating arm movements and a flutter kick.

“Someone mentioned backstroke during the sports round, and the conversation took a turn.”

A racket game played with a shuttlecock.

“Badminton gets violent at family reunions.”

A bat-and-ball sport where two teams alternate between batting and fielding around four bases.

“When baseball appeared, the sports round got noticeably louder.”

A team sport where players score by shooting a ball through a raised hoop.

“The host repeated basketball twice in the sports round before anyone wanted to go first.”

The player at bat in baseball.

“The batter swung at everything today.”

A player who spends much of a game sitting on the substitute bench.

“The team knew the term benchwarmer; saying every letter correctly was another matter.”

A sport combining skiing and shooting.

“The biathlon is cardio with consequences.”

The study of forces and movement in living bodies, especially during physical activity.

“One person at the sports round swore they knew biomechanics; the spelling attempt said otherwise.”

Tiered open seating for fans.

“The bleachers heard everything you yelled.”

A winter sport in which teams race a streamlined sled down an ice track.

“The bobsleigh team flew through the final turn.”

Also accepted: bobsled

An Italian lawn-bowling game.

“The bocce court is where retirement dreams live.”

A precision ball sport, similar to bocce, played internationally by athletes with significant physical disabilities.

“As soon as boccia appeared in the sports round, everyone started silently counting letters.”

A sport focused on developing and displaying muscular size, symmetry, and definition.

“The sports round table recognized bodybuilding instantly and still could not agree on the spelling.”

A combat sport in which two opponents strike each other with gloved fists under rules.

“The sports round somehow ended with everyone talking about boxing.”

A swimming stroke using simultaneous arm sweeps and a frog-like kick.

“One person at the sports round swore they knew breaststroke; the spelling attempt said otherwise.”

A person who carries clubs and assists a golfer during a round.

“The caddie handed her a different club for the next shot.”

Exercises using your own body weight.

“He does calisthenics at the bus stop.”

The sport or activity of traveling in a canoe.

“Canoeing turned out to be much harder to spell than to recognize during a game.”

A Brazilian martial art combining kicks, acrobatics, rhythm, and music.

“The capoeira demonstration looked effortless until everyone tried the first move.”

A classical riding leap in which a horse kicks out with its hind legs while airborne.

“Capriole turned out to be much harder to spell than to recognize during a game.”

A metal clip used in climbing.

“His keys hang from a climbing carabiner.”

The contest that decides a title.

“The championship came down to a coin flip.”

A sport combining organized cheers with dance, jumps, stunts, and tumbling.

“The host read out cheerleading during the sports round, and half the room asked to hear it again.”

A period of play in a polo match.

“The polo match resumed at the start of the next chukka.”

The sport or activity of ascending rock, walls, mountains, or other steep surfaces.

“Climbing was the one word everyone remembered after the sports round.”

A person who trains a team.

“Every dad becomes a coach eventually.”

An organized contest in which people or teams try to outperform one another.

“Everyone had heard of competition, but only one player trusted the spelling.”

Training designed to improve physical fitness and performance.

“The announcer mentioned conditioning during the event, and the spelling round immediately got tougher.”

The ability to control body movements smoothly and efficiently.

“Coordination was familiar from sports, but the exact spelling still caused a timeout.”

A classical riding movement in which a horse raises its forequarters and hops forward on its hind legs.

“The broadcast used courbette casually, and the players suddenly wished they had seen it written down.”

The person who steers a rowing boat and directs the crew.

“The coxswain called the rhythm while the rowers powered toward the finish.”

A bat-and-ball sport played by two teams on a field with wickets at the center.

“Cricket was the one word everyone remembered after the sports round.”

A bicycle race held on a short closed circuit, usually with many laps.

“The criterium sent cyclists around the downtown circuit for dozens of laps.”

A lawn game of hitting balls through hoops.

“Croquet turns polite families feral.”

A sport in which players slide stones across ice toward a circular target while teammates sweep the path.

“They watched curling for five minutes and suddenly everyone had strategy opinions.”

The sport or activity of riding bicycles.

“The sports round table recognized cycling instantly and still could not agree on the spelling.”

An athlete who competes in the ten-event decathlon.

“The announcer mentioned decathlete during the event, and the spelling round immediately got tougher.”

An athletic contest of ten events.

“He medaled in the decathlon.”

A heavy disc thrown for distance.

“The discus landed in the parking lot.”

A cycling team rider whose main role is to support the team's leader.

“The domestique rode at the front to protect the team's leader from the wind.”

The sport of precise horse movements.

“Dressage is horse ballet with judges.”

To move a ball with light bounces or taps.

“He can dribble past anyone.”

The ability to sustain prolonged physical effort.

“The announcer mentioned endurance during the event, and the spelling round immediately got tougher.”

A fencing sword with a triangular blade and a large hand guard.

“She scored the final touch with her epee.”

Also accepted: épée

Relating to horseback riding.

“Her equestrian phase never ended.”

The sport and practice of horse riding, including disciplines such as dressage, jumping, and eventing.

“Equestrianism turned the sports round into an unexpectedly competitive spelling moment.”

A female rider or performer skilled in horsemanship.

“The announcer mentioned equestrienne during the event, and the spelling round immediately got tougher.”

A game played for show, not standings.

“It was an exhibition match until someone kept score.”

A combat sport using swords such as foil, épée, or sabre to score touches.

“Nobody in the sports round questioned the meaning of fencing; the letters were the problem.”

The act of playing defense by catching, stopping, or returning a ball.

“Fielding was familiar from sports, but the exact spelling still caused a timeout.”

A team sport played with an oval ball in American football or a round ball in association football, depending on context.

“When football appeared, the sports round got noticeably louder.”

A competition format allowing broad freedom of technique, commonly used in swimming, skiing, and other sports.

“Freestyle turned the sports round into an unexpectedly competitive spelling moment.”

The player who guards the goal.

“The goalie saw none of those coming.”

The player responsible for defending a goal.

“The team knew the term goalkeeper; saying every letter correctly was another matter.”

One of the upright structures that form part of a goal in several sports.

“The room knew exactly what goalpost meant during the sports round and still hesitated on the spelling.”

A sport where players use clubs to hit a ball into a series of holes in as few strokes as possible.

“Nobody in the sports round questioned the meaning of golf; the letters were the problem.”

Close-contact combat involving holds, throws, and ground control.

“The broadcast used grappling casually, and the players suddenly wished they had seen it written down.”

An equestrian competition featuring timed games, races, or skill events.

“Gymkhana was familiar from sports, but the exact spelling still caused a timeout.”

A room equipped for physical exercise.

“The gymnasium smelled like 1998.”

An athlete who performs gymnastics.

“The gymnast made it look offensively easy.”

A sport involving strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and acrobatic skills.

“The sports round moved on, but people were still whispering the letters in gymnastics.”

The break in the middle of a game.

“The halftime snacks outdrew the game.”

A fast team sport where players throw a ball by hand and try to score in the opposing goal.

“Someone mentioned handball during the sports round, and the conversation took a turn.”

Protective headgear.

“The helmet hair lasted all day.”

A track and field contest of seven events.

“Seven events, one heptathlon, zero mercy.”

A fast game played on ice with sticks and a puck.

“Everything up north is closed for hockey and no one questions it.”

A tight team gathering to plan a play.

“The huddle was just gossip.”

Track races in which runners must clear a series of barriers.

“When hurdles appeared, the sports round got noticeably louder.”

The increase in muscle size caused by growth of muscle fibers, often a goal of resistance training.

“Someone mentioned hypertrophy during the sports round, and the conversation took a turn.”

One division of a baseball game.

“The seventh inning stretch saved us.”

A play in which a pass or ball intended for one player is caught or taken by an opponent.

“The team knew the term interception; saying every letter correctly was another matter.”

A light spear thrown in track and field.

“Stand very far from the javelin guy.”

A team shirt worn by players.

“He tucked the jersey in, tragically.”

A Japanese martial art and sport based on throws, pins, holds, and controlled grappling.

“The word judo sparked the longest debate of the sports round.”

A South Asian team sport where a raider enters the opposing half, tags defenders, and tries to return safely.

“At the sports round, kabaddi came up and everyone immediately had an opinion.”

A Japanese martial art of strikes.

“One karate class and he bows at doors.”

A small covered paddle boat.

“The kayak flipped at the dock.”

A track cycling race in which riders follow a pacer before sprinting to the finish.

“The keirin riders followed the pacer before launching their sprint.”

A combat sport combining punches with kicks and, in some rulesets, other strikes.

“The sports round paused for a second when kickboxing showed up.”

The scientific study of human movement, physical activity, and body mechanics.

“Someone used kinesiology correctly during the sports round, then immediately second-guessed the spelling.”

Relating to the sense of body movement and position.

“The term kinesthetic made sense in context, but the spelling was anything but automatic.”

Also accepted: kinaesthetic

A pitch thrown with very little spin, causing an unpredictable flight.

“The knuckleball moved unpredictably on its way to the plate.”

A game played with netted sticks.

“The lacrosse ball dented the garage door.”

A group of teams that compete together.

“The rec league takes itself very seriously.”

A defensive American football player positioned behind the defensive line.

“Everyone in the sports round knew linebacker, but spelling it aloud was another story.”

A skillful planned movement.

“The parking lot maneuver deserved a flag.”

A long-distance running race.

“She trained a year for the marathon.”

A costumed figure representing a team.

“The mascot fell down the stairs, iconic.”

A player positioned mainly in the middle area of the field, linking defense and attack.

“Midfielder turned the sports round into an unexpectedly competitive spelling moment.”

Off-road motorcycle racing on a closed dirt course.

“Everyone had heard of motocross, but only one player trusted the spelling.”

The sport or activity of climbing mountains, often involving technical skills and specialized equipment.

“Mountaineering was the one word everyone remembered after the sports round.”

Acting as the referee, judge, or official in a sporting event.

“The official was officiating the match while the crowd debated the spelling.”

An illegal forward position in play.

“It was offside by a shoelace.”

A multi-event track cycling competition scored across several disciplines.

“Omnium turned out to be much harder to spell than to recognize during a game.”

A sport where competitors navigate between checkpoints using a map and compass.

“One person at the sports round swore they knew orienteering; the spelling attempt said otherwise.”

Relating to the medical treatment of bones, joints, muscles, and related injuries.

“The coach called the movement orthopaedic, and everyone hesitated over the letters.”

Also accepted: orthopedic

A baseball or softball player positioned in the outfield.

“The announcer mentioned outfielder during the event, and the spelling round immediately got tougher.”

A flat bat used in paddle sports.

“The pickleball paddle cost how much?”

The sport or activity of jumping from an aircraft and descending with a parachute.

“Parachuting sounded easy in the sports round until somebody had to spell it without autocorrect.”

The sport of flying with a lightweight foot-launched glider.

“Paragliding was familiar from sports, but the exact spelling still caused a timeout.”

Small parallel bars used for gymnastics and bodyweight training.

“The announcer mentioned parallettes during the event, and the spelling round immediately got tougher.”

An international multisport competition for athletes with eligible disabilities, held alongside the Olympic cycle.

“At the sports round, Paralympics came up and everyone immediately had an opinion.”

A sport or movement discipline focused on efficiently overcoming obstacles by running, jumping, and climbing.

“The parkour clip made the staircase look much easier than it was.”

The main group of riders in a road race.

“She broke away from the peloton.”

A punishment for breaking the rules.

“The penalty shootout aged everyone ten years.”

A competition made up of five different sporting events.

“The sports round group recognized pentathlon, then started arguing about which letters came next.”

A French boules game in which metal balls are thrown toward a small target ball.

“Everyone had heard of petanque, but only one player trusted the spelling.”

Also accepted: pétanque

A health professional who helps restore movement and function through physical therapy.

“Everyone had heard of physiotherapist, but only one player trusted the spelling.”

The form and build of a body.

“Two workouts in and he mentions his physique.”

A dressage movement in which a horse performs a highly collected trot nearly in place.

“The horse performed a controlled piaffe in the dressage arena.”

A paddle sport played on a small court with a perforated plastic ball and a low net.

“At the sports round, pickleball came up and everyone immediately had an opinion.”

Explosive exercises that rapidly stretch and contract muscles to develop power.

“The sports round paused for a second when plyometrics showed up.”

A handle on gymnastics equipment or a saddle.

“The pommel horse claimed another hero.”

A strength sport based on maximum-weight attempts in the squat, bench press, and deadlift.

“At the sports round, powerlifting came up and everyone immediately had an opinion.”

The body's sense of where its parts are positioned and moving without needing to look.

“Someone mentioned proprioception during the sports round, and the conversation took a turn.”

Relating to the body's awareness of its own position and movement.

“The coach called the movement proprioceptive, and everyone hesitated over the letters.”

A formal or old-fashioned term for boxing.

“The host read out pugilism during the sports round, and half the room asked to hear it again.”

The process of earning a place in a later stage of a competition.

“Everyone had heard of qualification, but only one player trusted the spelling.”

A contest or competitor that determines who advances to a later stage.

“The broadcast used qualifier casually, and the players suddenly wished they had seen it written down.”

The player who directs the offense.

“Their quarterback threw it away.”

A competitive walking event with rules requiring continuous contact and a straightened leg.

“The broadcast used racewalking casually, and the players suddenly wished they had seen it written down.”

A handled frame strung with cords and used to hit a ball in several sports.

“He tightened the strings on his tennis racquet before the match.”

A fast indoor court game with short racquets.

“Dad's racquetball league takes Tuesdays very seriously.”

An American football player whose role includes catching forward passes.

“Nobody in the sports round questioned the meaning of receiver; the letters were the problem.”

An official who enforces the rules.

“The referee missed the whole thing.”

An organized series of boat or yacht races.

“The sailing club hosted a weekend regatta on the lake.”

A race in which team members complete successive portions of the total distance.

“The group had heard relay before the sports round, but nobody trusted the spelling.”

The movement of a team to a lower division after poor performance.

“Relegation turned out to be much harder to spell than to recognize during a game.”

Relating to a regular beat or to rhythmic gymnastics.

“The rhythmic gymnastics routine combined dance, flexibility, and apparatus work.”

A sport where athletes propel a boat through water using oars.

“As soon as rowing appeared in the sports round, everyone started silently counting letters.”

A contact team sport played with an oval ball that can be carried, kicked, and passed backward.

“The sports round group recognized rugby, then started arguing about which letters came next.”

The statistical analysis of baseball performance and strategy.

“Everyone in the sports round knew sabermetrics, but spelling it aloud was another story.”

A figure-skating jump launched from the back inside edge of one skate.

“She landed a clean Salchow during the free skate.”

A display that shows the score and often other game information.

“The sports round group recognized scoreboard, then started arguing about which letters came next.”

A person responsible for recording points, runs, or other scores.

“Scorekeeper turned out to be much harder to spell than to recognize during a game.”

A practice game between teams.

“Coach called an extra scrimmage.”

Rowing with two oars, one in each hand.

“Everyone had heard of sculling, but only one player trusted the spelling.”

The feathered or plastic projectile hit back and forth in badminton.

“The group had heard shuttlecock before the sports round, but nobody trusted the spelling.”

The sport or activity of riding and performing tricks on a skateboard.

“The sports round table recognized skateboarding instantly and still could not agree on the spelling.”

The sport or activity of gliding on ice skates or roller skates.

“The host read out skating during the sports round, and half the room asked to hear it again.”

The sport or activity of traveling over snow on skis.

“Skiing was the one word everyone remembered after the sports round.”

A winter sport in which a skier is pulled by a dog, horse, or motorized vehicle.

“The sports round group recognized skijoring, then started arguing about which letters came next.”

A race down a winding, gated course.

“He skied the slalom on borrowed skis.”

A cue sport played on a large table with colored balls and a specific scoring sequence.

“The snooker match stayed quiet until someone missed the easiest shot.”

The sport of descending snow-covered slopes on a single board attached to both feet.

“Snowboarding turned the sports round into an unexpectedly competitive spelling moment.”

Traveling or racing over snow while wearing snowshoes.

“Snowshoeing turned out to be much harder to spell than to recognize during a game.”

A game where teams kick a ball into goals.

“Calling soccer football starts arguments.”

A bat-and-ball sport related to baseball, usually played with a larger ball and underhand pitching.

“Nobody in the sports round questioned the meaning of softball; the letters were the problem.”

A complete forward or backward rotation of the body.

“Somersault was familiar from sports, but the exact spelling still caused a timeout.”

Fair, respectful, and gracious behavior in competition.

“Both teams showed good sportsmanship after the close match.”

A short race performed at or near maximum speed.

“The word sprint sparked the longest debate of the sports round.”

A large venue for sports events.

“The stadium sold out by noon.”

A distance race over hurdles and water.

“The steeplechase added water for drama.”

The replacement of one player by another during a game or match.

“The broadcast used substitution casually, and the players suddenly wished they had seen it written down.”

The sport of riding ocean waves on a surfboard.

“One person at the sports round swore they knew surfing; the spelling attempt said otherwise.”

The sport or activity of moving through water using the body and limbs.

“The sports round table recognized swimming instantly and still could not agree on the spelling.”

Performed in coordinated timing, as in synchronized swimming or other judged routines.

“The synchronized routine depended on every athlete moving at exactly the same time.”

A Korean martial art of kicks.

“The taekwondo class is mostly bowing.”

A team sport where players throw a ball at a rebound frame and score when opponents fail to catch the rebound.

“The sports round table recognized tchoukball instantly and still could not agree on the spelling.”

A racket game played over a net.

“Their tennis match was mostly apologies.”

A scoring play in American football achieved by carrying or catching the ball in the opponent's end zone.

“As soon as touchdown appeared in the sports round, everyone started silently counting letters.”

A series of contests for a title.

“Our bracket died in round one of the tournament.”

The path followed by a moving ball, object, or athlete through space.

“The team knew the term trajectory; saying every letter correctly was another matter.”

A spring-supported fabric bed used for bouncing, gymnastics, and aerial skills.

“The sports round paused for a second when trampoline showed up.”

The sport of performing acrobatic movements on a trampoline.

“Trampolining was familiar from sports, but the exact spelling still caused a timeout.”

An athlete who competes in a triathlon.

“Everyone had heard of triathlete, but only one player trusted the spelling.”

A race of swimming, cycling, and running.

“He announced a triathlon and bought nothing.”

A prize cup for winning.

“The participation trophy sits front and center.”

A running race longer than the standard marathon distance of 26.2 miles.

“As soon as ultramarathon appeared in the sports round, everyone started silently counting letters.”

Running races or distances longer than a standard marathon.

“The team knew the term ultrarunning; saying every letter correctly was another matter.”

An official who rules on plays.

“The umpire heard what you said.”

A banked track for bicycle racing.

“Nobody brakes in a velodrome, ever.”

A game of hitting a ball over a high net.

“The volleyball landed in the potato salad.”

An athlete who competes in lifting heavy weights.

“Weightlifter turned out to be much harder to spell than to recognize during a game.”

A strength sport centered on lifting heavy barbells, especially the snatch and clean and jerk in Olympic competition.

“Weightlifting was the one word everyone remembered after the sports round.”

The cricket player positioned behind the wicket to receive the ball.

“The broadcast used wicketkeeper casually, and the players suddenly wished they had seen it written down.”

A water sport using a board fitted with a sail.

“The team knew the term windsurfing; saying every letter correctly was another matter.”

A sport of grappling an opponent.

“The wrestling match settled the remote dispute.”