walk on

1 of 2

verb

walked on; walking on; walks on
Synonyms of walk onnext

transitive verb

: to take advantage of : abuse
1
: a minor part (as in a dramatic production)
also : an actor having such a part
2
: a college athlete who tries out for an athletic team without having been recruited or offered a scholarship

Examples of walk on 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.
Noun
Reaves has a fully dedicated golf social media Instagram account, and right after retirement from the NBA, Smith joined the golf team at North Carolina A&T as a freshman walk-on. Omar Jimenez, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026 Lights, staging, the walk-on, how long a room stands in the dark before anything happens. Jeff Rabhan, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026 Chesney’s vision of a familial culture was also reinforced by senior linebacker Wyatt Mosier, who received a grant Tuesday in honor of Nick Pasquale — a former Bruin walk-on wide receiver who died in 2013 — from the Pasquale family. Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026 The reduction in walk-on opportunities is unfortunate, but scholarship opportunities have expanded in some sports. Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for walk on

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of walk on was in 1902

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Walk on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walk%20on. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on walk on

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster