ball boy

noun

: a male attendant who retrieves balls for players or officials (as in a tennis match or a baseball or basketball game)

Examples of ball boy 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.
Lanier’s Tyler Maloof was a ball boy on that team, which was coached by his father, Keith Maloof. — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026 The Minnesota native used to work as a ball boy in his teenage years at the Vikings’ training camp when the coach led the team, according to ESPN. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026 Power and Daniel Sweren-Becker wrote the script, which follows a struggling tennis phenom who falls for a charismatic local ball boy at the US Open. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 13 July 2026 During the tournament, Middleton revealed that Louis has dreams of attending Wimbledon and becoming a ball boy. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 12 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ball boy

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ball boy was in 1903

Rhymes for ball boy

See All Rhymes for ball boy

Browse Nearby Words

ball bearing
ball boy
ball-breaker
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ball boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ball%20boy. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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