Sports Actions — B1 Essential Words

serve /sɜːrv/ verb B1 Sports

Meaning: To start play in tennis, volleyball, and similar games by hitting the ball to the opponent; also to give food and drinks to people, and to work in a job or duty.

Example: She served the ball over the net.

Another example: Dinner is served at seven.

Collocations: serve the ball · serve first · serve dinner

Synonyms: hit first, deliver, provide

Word family: serves (v) · service (n) · server (n)

⚠ Common mistake: One verb works in restaurants, churches (services), and tennis finals. Its noun (service) runs buses, armies, and customer care.

🗣 In spoken American English: Aces make its fastest version unreturnable.

Register: Neutral — sports essential.

dribble /ˈdrɪbəl/ verb B1 Sports

Meaning: In basketball, to bounce the ball repeatedly while moving; in soccer, to move the ball along with small touches past opponents; also liquid falling in drops.

Example: He dribbled past two defenders.

Another example: Dribble the ball, don't carry it.

Collocations: dribble the ball · dribble past · dribbling skills

Synonyms: bounce, move with the ball, run with

Word family: dribbles (v) · dribbling (n) · dribbler (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Babies dribble (drool) with the same word — mouths and courts share the small-bounces idea across the ages.

🗣 In spoken American English: Its masters turn it into dance at full speed.

Register: Neutral — sports essential.

tackle /ˈtækəl/ verb B1 Sports

Meaning: In football and similar sports, to stop the player with the ball by grabbing them or the ball; also to deal with a difficult problem seriously.

Example: The defender tackled the striker.

Another example: Let's tackle the problem now.

Collocations: tackle the player · tackle a problem · a strong tackle

Synonyms: challenge, stop, deal with

Antonyms: avoid

Word family: tackles (n pl) · tackling (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Offices borrowed it for problems ('tackle the inbox'). Fishing keeps its gear sense (fishing tackle = equipment).

🗣 In spoken American English: Its timing is the difference between hero and penalty.

Register: Neutral — sports essential.

warm up /wɔːrm ʌp/ phrasal verb B1 Sports

Meaning: To prepare your body for sport with gentle exercises and movements; also to heat something or become friendlier.

Example: Always warm up before running.

Another example: The team is warming up.

Collocations: warm up before · warm up exercises · warm-up routine

Synonyms: prepare, limber up, stretch

Antonyms: cool down

Word family: warms up (v) · warm-up (n)

⚠ Common mistake: The hyphen tells the family apart: the warm-up (noun) before you warm up (verb). Its opposite COOL DOWN closes every training session.

🗣 In spoken American English: Singers warm up voices; engines warm up in winter — preparation everywhere.

Register: Neutral — sports essential.

compete /kəmˈpiːt/ verb B1 Sports

Meaning: To take part in a contest or competition and try to win against others; businesses also compete for customers.

Example: Athletes compete for gold.

Another example: Two cafés compete on this street.

Collocations: compete for · compete against · compete in

Synonyms: contest, rival, take part

Antonyms: cooperate

Word family: competition (n) · competitor (n) · competitive (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Its family runs both stadiums and markets: competitors, competition, competitive prices. The Olympics are its world summit.

🗣 In spoken American English: 'Compete with yourself yesterday' is coaching's favorite redirect.

Register: Formal — sports essential.

pass /pɑːs/ verb B1 Sports

Meaning: In team sports, to send the ball to a teammate; also to go by something, to succeed in a test, and to give something by hand.

Example: Pass the ball to the open player.

Another example: She passed all her exams.

Collocations: pass the ball · pass to · pass the test

Synonyms: send, give, go by

Antonyms: keep, fail

Word family: passes (n pl/v) · passing (n) · pass (n)

⚠ Common mistake: One verb for assists, exams, and salt at dinner — context does all the sorting. Its noun is tickets and permission too (a bus pass).

🗣 In spoken American English: 'Pass away' is its gentle phrase for dying — handle with care.

Register: Neutral — sports essential.

shoot /ʃuːt/ verb B1 Sports

Meaning: In sports, to try to score by kicking, throwing, or hitting the ball toward the goal or basket; also to fire a gun, and to film or photograph.

Example: He shot from outside the box.

Another example: Shoot! The goal is open!

Collocations: shoot at goal · shoot the ball · a shot

Synonyms: kick at goal, fire, strike

Antonyms: pass

Word family: shoots (v) · shot (n/past) · shooting (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Same spelling, three worlds — sports, guns, and cameras; context must rule. Plants also shoot (new growth is a 'shoot', the noun).

🗣 In spoken American English: Photo shoots borrowed the camera sense into fashion.

Register: Neutral — sports essential.

defend /dɪˈfend/ verb B1 Sports

Meaning: To protect your goal, territory, or position from attack; also to argue that someone or something is right.

Example: They defended their goal bravely.

Another example: She defended her friend in the argument.

Collocations: defend the goal · defend against · defend your title

Synonyms: protect, guard, support

Antonyms: attack, surrender

Word family: defense (n) · defender (n) · defensive (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Champions must defend titles; lawyers defend people; friends defend each other. Its noun in the US is spelled DEFENSE (UK: defence).

🗣 In spoken American English: Chess teaches it youngest: protect the king.

Register: Neutral — sports and argument essential.

attack /əˈtæk/ verb B1 Sports

Meaning: To move forward trying to score or win against an opponent; also to try to hurt someone physically, or criticize strongly. Also a sudden illness (a heart attack).

Example: Our team attacks from the left.

Another example: The illness attacked his lungs.

Collocations: attack the goal · attack from · heart attack (medical)

Synonyms: charge, advance, offense

Antonyms: defend, retreat

Word family: attacks (n pl) · attacker (n) · attacking (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: The heart sense makes it the most serious sports word in the dictionary. Commentators use its strategy sense every minute of every game.

🗣 In spoken American English: Chess beginners attack; masters position first.

Register: Neutral — sports essential.

sprint /sprɪnt/ verb / noun B1 Sports

Meaning: To run very fast over a short distance; a short fast race, or a short burst of fast work or travel.

Example: He sprinted to catch the bus.

Another example: The 100-meter sprint is the fastest race.

Collocations: sprint to · a sprint · sprint race

Synonyms: dash, rush, burst

Antonyms: jog, stroll

Word family: sprints (n pl) · sprinter (n) · sprinting (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Programmers sprint in two-week bursts (agile sprints) — the race moved into software. Its finish lines decide Olympic legends in under ten seconds.

🗣 In spoken American English: Marathons end with it when rivals remain.

Register: Neutral — sports essential.