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waiver wire

(North America , sports) a league-wide list to which an inexperienced player is added for a short period when cut from a team's roster; any team in the league may make a claim for the player during th

ˈweɪvɚ ˈwaɪɚCurrent161 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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3 citations · last seen May 2026

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#1·Apr 27, 2026

(North America , sports) a league-wide list to which an inexperienced player is added for a short period when cut from a team's roster; any team in the league may make a claim for the player during the period, at the end of which the lowest ranking claimant has right of first refusal, or the player may become a free agent if unclaimed.

Typically, the waiver wire process is 24 hours, but on cutdown day, it’s slightly shorter.
Origin: "Wire" in the sense of telecommunications. The original waiver wire was "a network of telex communications where the status of all players is made known to all of the clubs". Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Heard in the wild
  • “Fantasy baseball waiver wire: Snelling call-up and pitching trends https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/691803/ I’ve been pretty sure the Marlins would call up Braxton Garrett whenever the first need arose in their…”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(North America , fantasy sports) a similar period during which managers can claim a player, with successful claimants decided in various ways depending on the league.

Typically, the waiver wire process is 24 hours, but on cutdown day, it’s slightly shorter.
Heard in the wild
  • “The Chicago Sky had social media buzzing with waiver wire news. The Dallas Wings have been clicking on all cylinders during the WNBA preseason, and more with @tylerdeluca.bsky.social and @bmac1435.bsky.social. 🍎 bit.ly/3OWpIrP 📺 youtu.be/4GfF6DPe9uw”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Yah. He was on the waiver wire awhile and every time I thought about going for it, I’d check his career stats and be like oh, nope. Can players really take such a turn this late in their career without PEDs?”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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