paintball

noun

paint·​ball ˈpānt-ˌbȯl How to pronounce paintball (audio)
: a game in which two teams try to capture each other's flag while defending their own using compressed-air guns that shoot paint-filled pellets

Examples of paintball 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.
By voting for the ordinance, Councilman Collin Czilli stressed repeatedly, the Republicans were voting to make the use of bows and arrows, paintball guns and other weapons legal. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 On Monday, security forces dispersed the crowd with paintballs, tear gas, and shots into the air. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 Perturbed, Denise angrily peppered her boyfriend with bullets during a dominating paintball performance. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 25 July 2026 The Splatoon aesthetic, with paintball fights and hyper-colored everything, is very much my thing. — David Pierce, The Verge, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for paintball

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paintball was in 1987

Rhymes for paintball

See All Rhymes for paintball

Browse Nearby Words

paint a rosy picture
paintball
paint box
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Paintball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paintball. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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