parallel bars

plural noun

1
: a pair of usually wooden bars supported horizontally above the floor at the same height or at different heights usually by a common base and used in gymnastics
2
: an event in gymnastics competition in which even or uneven parallel bars are used

Examples of parallel bars in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, Tom starred as a gymnast with the Sea Hawks and won the state championship in the parallel bars, then competed in the pole vault at San Jose State. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Dec. 2023 By the end of the night, in addition to the team's fourth-place finish qualifying them for the team event final, four of them also qualified for individual events: Brody Malone on the horizontal bar; Mikulak on parallel bars; Yul Moldauer on the floor; and Alec Yoder on the pommel horse. Adam Carlson, PEOPLE.com, 24 July 2021 Yang, who finished with a bronze, is wrongly docked a tenth of a point on his second-to-last routine, the parallel bars. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023 Jahn also invented the early versions of the bar exercises that exist today: parallel bars and horizontal bars for men, and the women's uneven bars evolved from the parallel bars to showcase agility and elegance. Star Tribune, 1 Aug. 2021 Jahn also invented the early versions of the bar exercises that exist today: parallel bars and horizontal bars for men, and the women’s uneven bars evolved from the parallel bars to showcase agility and elegance. Claire Galofaro, chicagotribune.com, 3 Aug. 2021 The qualifying round also will determine the 24 athletes who move on to the all-around final on Wednesday, and the eight who advance to the individual finals in each of six events: high bar, pommel horse, parallel bars, floor exercise, vault and rings. Rachel Blount, Star Tribune, 23 July 2021 Tabesh buckled on his prosthetic leg and, thrusting his pelvis forward in a rotating motion, awkwardly stepped along a set of parallel bars. Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2023 Highland Park senior Anthony Hyatt (still rings), Libertyville senior Robert Cartwright (vault) and Buffalo Grove junior Benjamin Valak (parallel bars) also won individual titles. Gregg Voss, chicagotribune.com, 23 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parallel bars.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of parallel bars was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near parallel bars

Cite this Entry

“Parallel bars.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parallel%20bars. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

parallel bars

noun plural
: a pair of horizontal bars that are used for swinging and balancing exercises in gymnastics

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