verb C2 Proficient

dribble

DRIH-buhl

Dribble (verb) means In sports such as football or basketball, to move the ball forward by repeatedly bouncing or tapping it. Example: “She dribbled past two defenders before shooting.”

verb

In sports such as football or basketball, to move the ball forward by repeatedly bouncing or tapping it.

"She dribbled past two defenders before shooting."

To let saliva or liquid drip slowly from the mouth or from a container.

"The baby dribbled down his chin."

"Water dribbled from the cracked pipe."

noun

A small trickle of liquid, or an act of dribbling a ball.

"There was just a dribble of milk left in the carton."

How to use dribble

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo move something (a ball, or liquid) forward in small, repeated bits rather than all at once.

Common pairings

dribble the ball a dribble of sauce

Word forms

dribbled past tense, dribbles plural, dribbles singular

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Can you complete this real example?

She _____ past two defenders before shooting.

Synonyms

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drop carry filter drip trickle drool drivel slaver slobber dribbling slabber

Related words

support bring hold fall increase truth lose drop

Rhymes for dribble

dibble nibble kibble quibble gribble scribble

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Frequently asked questions

What does “dribble” mean?

The word “dribble” means in sports such as football or basketball, to move the ball forward by repeatedly bouncing or tapping it. In plain terms, to move something (a ball, or liquid) forward in small, repeated bits rather than all at once.

How do you pronounce “dribble”?

“Dribble” is pronounced DRIH-buhl (/ˈdɹɪ.bɫ̩/ in IPA).

How do you use “dribble” in a sentence?

Here is “dribble” used in a sentence: “She dribbled past two defenders before shooting.”

What part of speech is “dribble”?

Depending on how it is used, “dribble” can be a verb and a noun.

How many meanings does “dribble” have?

“Dribble” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: in sports such as football or basketball, to move the ball forward by repeatedly bouncing or tapping it.

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