Meaning & use
sports bar
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
a bar or pub that shows live sports games on many televisions and serves drinks and simple food
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a sports bar' or 'two sports bars'.
Patterns
- go to a sports bar
- a sports bar with big screens
We watched the final at a sports bar near the station.
The new sports bar has twelve screens and shows every major league game.
Sports bars are usually busiest on weekend evenings.
Word forms
| plural | sports bars |
|---|
Common combinations
- go to a sports bar
- Let's go to a sports bar to watch the game.
- a sports bar with big screens
- They opened a sports bar with big screens on every wall.
- packed sports bar
- The packed sports bar erupted when the home team scored.
- watch a game at a sports bar
- Fans often watch a game at a sports bar instead of at home.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sports pub
- Common in British English and usually suggests a more traditional pub that also shows games.
- bar
- A general word for a place serving drinks; it does not necessarily show sports.
Commonly confused: sports bar or gym?
sports bar vs gym
A gym is a place for exercise, not for drinking and watching games.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'sports bar' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A sports bar is a place that shows games and serves drinks, so watching the basketball final there fits. Option 0 describes a gym, not a bar; option 2 uses 'bar' as a metal object; option 3 is possible but less typical because a sports bar's main purpose is showing games.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sports bar”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.