body check

noun

: a blocking of an opposing player with the body (as in ice hockey or lacrosse)
bodycheck transitive verb

Examples of body check 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.
Max Crozier’s thunderous body check on Juraj Slafkovský in the second period ignited a Tampa comeback and led to three unanswered goals en route to a gritty, 3-2 win Sunday night to tie their series with Montreal 2-2. Arpon Basu, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026 Rachel Reid shared an Instagram post on Tuesday, Feb. 24, with news that will land like a body check for anyone invested in Ilya and Shane’s story. Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026 That not only included a fierce 33-15 win by the Pats, but also a massive body check during the game that sent Dart flying out of bounds. Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025 If any anatomical anomalies are detected, an invasive body check ensues. Grace Byron, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2025 McAvoy’s thunderous and clean body check on Connor McDavid in the first period also got his team going. Pierre Lebrun, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025 That prompted Gamecocks 6-foot-7 center Kamilla Cardoso to run over and body check the 5-10 Johnson to the floor. David Whitley, The Tennessean, 12 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of body check was in 1869

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Cite this Entry

“Body check.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body%20check. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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