Sports Lingo

verb to change or alter in order to fit or conform to a particular purpose or situation

• It is important to adjust the settings to optimize performance.
• I need to adjust my schedule to make time for the meeting.
• I'll just need to adjust my attitude and everything will be fine.
• Sometimes we need to adjust our perspective to see things more clearly.

verb to secure firmly in place

adjective fixed securely in place

• The ship was securely anchored in the harbor.
• We anchored the boat near the shore for a quick swim.
• Let's anchor the car here and walk to the party.
• His beliefs are firmly anchored in his upbringing.

noun financial support or resources provided to help a person or organization achieve something

verb present participle of the verb 'back', which can mean to support or assist someone or something

• The company secured financial backing from a group of investors.
• I've got your back, don't worry about a thing.
• She's always got my back when I need help.
• His backing of the project gave it the support it needed to succeed.

noun a conclusion or end

verb to shut something

adjective near in space or time

adverb near in distance or time

• Please make sure to close the door behind you when you leave.
• Hey, can you close the window? It's getting chilly in here.
• I'm going to close up shop for the night and head home.
• Their friendship grew so close that they were practically like siblings.

verb to carry out or perform an action, especially a crime or mistake

• He made a commitment to commit to the project until its completion.
• I can't believe she's committing to that crazy idea.
• Don't commit to going out tonight if you're not sure.
• She decided to commit to living a healthier lifestyle.

noun a period of twenty-four hours as a unit of time, reckoned from one midnight to the next, corresponding to a rotation of the earth on its axis

adjective relating to or occurring during the day

adverb during the day or on each day

• The work must be completed by the end of the day.
• Let's catch up for lunch one day this week.
• I'm having a lazy day, just chilling at home.
• Every cloud has a silver lining, even on the darkest day.

noun the dead branches and other waste wood in a forest or on the ground

adjective no longer useful or productive; obsolete

• The deadwood in the company was eventually let go to improve efficiency.
• They finally got rid of all the deadwood at work.
• We need to cut out the deadwood from our team if we want to succeed.
• The deadwood in his life was weighing him down, holding him back from progress.

verb to come to a resolution or make a choice after consideration

• After much deliberation, the committee decided to move forward with the proposed plan.
• We finally decided on a movie to watch tonight.
• I decided to bail on the party and just stay home instead.
• She decided to take the plunge and start her own business.

verb to order or allow someone to leave; to decide that something is not important or worth considering

• The judge decided to dismiss the case due to lack of evidence.
• I told my boss I needed the day off, but he just dismissed my request.
• She totally dismissed him when he tried to ask her out.
• Don't dismiss his ideas right away, they might actually be worth considering.

verb to receive money in return for work or services provided

• Many individuals work hard to earn a living and support their families.
• I need to earn some extra cash for the weekend.
• I'm hustling to earn some dough on the side.
• She had to earn her stripes in order to gain respect in the industry.

noun None

verb To come or go into (a place)

adjective None

adverb None

pronoun None

preposition None

conjunction None

interjection None

article None

• Please knock before you enter the meeting room.
• Hey, just come on in and join us!
• Yo, just barge in whenever you feel like it.
• Once you enter the world of politics, there's no turning back.

noun a trick or joke intended to deceive or cheat

verb to deceive or cheat

• The politician's hoke speech failed to convince the audience of his sincerity.
• I can't believe he tried to hoke his way out of that situation.
• Stop hoking around and get to work!
• His promises were nothing but hoke and mirrors.

verb to offer unsolicited advice or commentary in a casual or informal manner, especially during a card game or other activity

• During the chess tournament, the spectators were not allowed to kibitz and had to remain silent.
• Hey, stop kibitzing and let me concentrate on my work.
• I love going to the bar with my friends and kibitzing about random stuff.
• The wise old man would often kibitz with the young children, sharing his knowledge and stories.

noun a verb phrase consisting of the word 'kick' and the adverb 'upstairs', used to describe the action of promoting someone to a higher position or rank within an organization

• After years of service, the company decided to kick him upstairs to a more senior position.
• They're going to kick him upstairs to a better job because he's been doing so well.
• I heard they're going to kick him upstairs to a cushy desk job with less responsibility.
• In politics, it's common for leaders to kick their rivals upstairs to positions of less influence.

noun an act of licking

verb to pass the tongue over something

• The dog proceeded to lick its paw in a gentle manner.
• My cat loves to lick my face when I come home.
• I dared him to lick the frozen pole, and he actually did it!
• The singer's voice was so smooth, it was like a lick of honey to the ears.

noun the feeling of grief after losing someone or something

• The company experienced a significant financial loss due to the economic downturn.
• I can't believe how much weight loss you've achieved since starting your new diet.
• I took a big L on that bet last night, lost all my money.
• Sometimes a loss in one aspect of life can lead to gains in another.

noun a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief

• The neophyte investor sought advice from experienced financial advisors.
• The neophyte chef burned the first batch of cookies.
• The neophyte gamer got pwned in their first match.
• As a neophyte in the art world, she was eager to learn and grow.

noun the act of nullifying; cancellation

verb to make legally null and void; invalidate

• The judge ruled to nullify the contract due to a breach of terms.
• They had to nullify the results of the game because of a technicality.
• I wish I could just nullify that whole situation and start fresh.
• Her smile was enough to nullify any doubts I had about the plan.

noun a clumsy, stupid, or unskilled person, especially a boxer

• The boxing match was between a skilled fighter and a palooka.
• I can't believe that palooka tried to challenge the champion.
• That palooka doesn't stand a chance in the ring.
• He may seem like a palooka, but he's actually quite clever.

noun a downward movement or force

verb to bring something down by exerting force

• The architect decided to pull down the old building and construct a new one in its place.
• We should pull down that old fence and put up a new one.
• Let's pull down this joint and head to the party.
• Don't let negative thoughts pull you down, stay positive and keep moving forward.

verb to tease or mock someone in a playful or good-natured way

• The students engaged in good-natured razzing during the school assembly.
• My friends are always razzing me about my fashion choices.
• Stop razzing me, dude! It's getting annoying.
• The comedian's razzing of the audience added to the overall entertainment of the show.

noun a period of dominance or control

verb to be predominant or prevalent

• The monarch's reign has been marked by peace and prosperity.
• Her reign as class president was full of fun events and activities.
• His reign as the top dog in the company didn't last long.
• The artist's reign as the master of abstract art continues to inspire others.

noun a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

• The proposal was set before the board of directors for their approval.
• I set my idea before the team and they loved it!
• I set my new dance moves before my friends and they were impressed.
• She set her dreams before her like a map, guiding her towards her goals.

noun a person who behaves in a secretive or underhanded way

verb to move or go in a stealthy or furtive manner

• The spy was able to sneak into the enemy's headquarters undetected.
• I'm going to sneak some snacks into the movie theater.
• Let's sneak out of here before anyone notices.
• She tried to sneak a peek at his phone to see who he was texting.

noun a verb or noun that means to walk or behave in a very confident and typically arrogant or aggressive way

verb to walk or behave in a very confident and typically arrogant or aggressive way

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• The CEO walked into the boardroom with an air of confidence and swagger.
• He strutted down the street with his signature swagger, turning heads as he passed by.
• That guy has so much swagger, he can charm anyone he meets.
• Her writing style had a certain swagger to it, making her articles stand out from the rest.

verb to incline or move something so that one side or end is higher than the other, typically in a quick and sudden motion; to give a small amount of money to someone for a service provided

• The server carefully tipped the tray to avoid spilling the drinks.
• I tipped the cup over and made a mess on the table.
• He tipped the bottle and chugged the whole thing in one go.
• The scales tipped in favor of the defendant after new evidence was presented.

noun a person who turns and runs away from danger or trouble; a coward

verb to suddenly turn and run away from danger or trouble

• The soldier was accused of cowardice and ordered to turntail during the battle.
• When things got tough, he decided to turntail and run away.
• I can't believe he turnedtail when things got rough.
• She always turns tail when faced with a difficult situation.

noun a situation where something is removed or cleaned by washing

verb to remove or clean something by washing

• The heavy rain caused a wash out of the dirt road, making it impassable.
• I had to cancel the picnic because of the wash out from last night's storm.
• The party was a total wash out, nobody showed up.
• His hopes of winning the championship were washed out after his injury.

adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, indicating the extent, degree, or manner of something

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

conjunction a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses

• The store will be open only until 5 PM today.
• I can hang out with you, but only until 8 PM.
• Let's party all night, but only until the cops show up.
• She was happy only until she heard the bad news.

noun a gesture of greeting or solidarity in which two people briefly touch palms or fists together

verb to perform a dap

• The dancer executed a graceful dap at the end of her performance.
• Hey, give me a dap before you leave!
• I love how we always dap each other up before a game.
• His speech really dapped up the crowd at the rally.

noun a portrayal of staged events within the professional wrestling industry as real or true

verb to maintain the illusion of reality in professional wrestling performances

• The wrestlers maintained kayfabe by staying in character even outside of the ring.
• Don't break kayfabe by revealing the storyline to fans.
• It's all about keeping up the kayfabe in the wrestling world.
• Sometimes it's necessary to maintain kayfabe in order to protect someone's reputation.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or a state of being

adverb a word that modifies or describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb

pronoun a word that takes the place of a noun

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• In professional settings, it is important to remain composed and style it out when faced with unexpected challenges.
• When you trip in public, just style it out like it was intentional and keep walking.
• If someone insults you, just style it out and act like it doesn't bother you.
• Life may throw obstacles your way, but you have to learn to style it out and keep moving forward.

noun a complaint or expression of discontent

verb to complain or whine persistently

• She was known to winge about every little inconvenience at work.
• Stop wingeing about the weather and just enjoy the day!
• Why do you always have to winge about everything?
• His constant wingeing was like nails on a chalkboard to her.

noun a person who is new to a particular activity or online community, typically inexperienced or unskilled

• The new employee is still learning the ropes and may be considered a noob in this industry.
• Don't worry about being a noob, we all start somewhere.
• That guy is such a noob, he doesn't know what he's doing.
• In the world of chess, a noob is easily defeated by experienced players.