onside kick

noun

: a kickoff in football in which the ball travels just far enough to be legally recoverable by the kicking team

Examples of onside kick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That onside kick rivals Sean Payton's infamous onside kick in the 2009 Super Bowl. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Opening the second half with an onside kick set the tone that everything was on the table for USC. — Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 Riley Patterson clanked the extra-point attempt off the left upright, and the ensuing onside kick went out of bounds to end it and snap the Cincinnati's two-game skid. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 The momentum really shifted when Joey Fairchild recovered the ensuing onside kick for the Indians at the Byron Nelson 41. — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for onside kick

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of onside kick was in 1895

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Cite this Entry

“Onside kick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onside%20kick. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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