Synonyms and antonyms of To perform an action in a game or sport in British Thesaurus

blank (verb)

Americaninformal to prevent your opponent from scoring in a game or sport

block (verb)

to use your body to stop someone from hitting something, or to stop a ball from going somewhere

bully off ()

to start a game of hockey by hitting another player’s stick and then the ground before trying to hit the ball

change ends ()

if two opponents or teams change ends, they each move to the opposite half of a tennis court or football pitch

chop down (mainly journalism)

mainly journalism to make an opponent fall over when you are playing a game, such as football

come off ()

to leave a sports field and be replaced by another member of your team

come on ()

to arrive on a sports field in order to replace another member of your team

cover (verb)

in some sports, to stay very close to an opposing player in order to prevent them from scoring a goal or getting a point

deny (verb)

mainly journalism to stop an opponent from winning or scoring

dive (verb)

if a player dives, they deliberately fall to the ground in order to pretend that an opponent has made them fall

feint (verb)

to pretend to make a movement, especially to trick an opponent in a sport or fight

field (verb)

to be the team that throws and tries to catch the ball during a game while members of the other team try to hit it. The other team bats

foul (verb)

to do something in a game that is not allowed by the rules

foul (verb)

to do something to another player that is not allowed by the rules

fumble (verb)

to drop a ball

go on ()

to walk onto a sports field in order to replace a member of your team

guard (verb)

in a sport such as basketball, to try to prevent your opponent from scoring or from playing effectively

hit (verb)

to use something such as a bat to make a ball move

hit back (mainly journalism)

mainly journalism to start to play well against an opponent who was winning

hold off (mainly journalism)

mainly journalism to stop an opponent from starting to win or lead

mark (verb)

to stay close to a member of the other team in a game such as football in order to prevent them from getting the ball or playing effectively

peg back ()

to prevent an opponent from winning in a game or competition

play off ()

if two or more teams or players who have the same number of points in a competition play off, they play a game or games to see who is the winner

play on ()

to continue to play a game, often after someone has been injured or has done something that is not allowed by the rules

play out ()

to continue to play a sport until the end of a particular period

receive (verb)

if you receive a ball in a game, someone sends it towards you

send off (British)

British to tell a sports player officially to leave the sports field because they have done something that is not allowed by the rules

shield (verb)

in sport, to keep your body close to the ball and prevent an opponent from touching it

spot (verb)

American in sports, to give an advantage to someone who you are playing against, usually because they are not as good as you

tackle (verb)

to try to take the ball from an opponent in a game such as football

take (verb)

to get control of something from an opponent

take (verb)

to get something from an opponent in a game or sports competition

throw in ()

in football, if a player throws in or throws the ball in, they throw it back onto the field after it has gone out

upend (verb)

mainly journalism to deliberately make a player on the opposing team fall during a football match

wrong-foot (verb)

in sport, to make an opponent go in the wrong direction by suddenly changing the direction in which you move, or hit or kick a ball