penalty box

noun

: an area alongside an ice hockey rink to which penalized players are confined for the duration of their penalty

Examples of penalty box 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.
Just don’t ask coach John Hynes what’s working with a Wild player in the penalty box. — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 Mar. 2025 Defensively, Earthquakes goalkeeper Daniel made eight saves, including multiple stops of Real Salt Lake blasts from beyond the penalty box. — Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2025 With Mikko Rantanen and MacKinnon — the NHL’s two leading scorers entering the day — sitting next to each other in the penalty box after the former took a hooking penalty, Nick Schmaltz deflected a shot past Blackwood with Utah on the power play. — Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 27 Dec. 2024 The most obvious momentum-shifter came in the final minute when Christian was called for a handball in the penalty box, setting up a 1 on 1 penalty kick. — Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for penalty box

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of penalty box was in 1907

Rhymes for penalty box

See All Rhymes for penalty box

Browse Nearby Words

penalty area
penalty box
penalty bully
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Penalty box.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penalty%20box. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All