ball 1 of 3

1
as in sphere
a more or less round body or mass the little rubber ball used in racquetball a ball of string

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2
as in bullet
a usually round or cone-shaped little piece of lead made to be fired from a firearm found a cache of musket balls while excavating the old fort

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ball

2 of 3

noun (2)

ball

3 of 3

verb

as in to round
to form into a round compact mass balled up the paper and threw it at the garbage can

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ball
Noun
The Phillies’ second baseman caught the ball and threw to shortstop Trea Turner to double up Bogaerts at second. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 June 2025 What to know about Powerball To score the jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball. Daniella Segura, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025 Another picture showed Luai, wearing a blue button-down shirt and tan shorts, chasing after a ball in an open field. Hannah Sacks, People.com, 30 June 2025 The Thunder shot a paltry 8-of-30 on 3-pointers and were smoked in 1-on-1 ball. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 22 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for ball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ball
Verb
  • Instead, the character inspired by her own love story is played by Hacks star Megan Stalter, with a cast of up-and-comers rounding out the ensemble of the Netflix comedy-drama that’s sure to generate plenty of conversation.
    Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 1 July 2025
  • Footage obtained by Reuters showed police scuffling with a group of activists holding rainbow flags in the city center before rounding them up and loading them into police vans.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 29 June 2025
Verb
  • Sweden, which also became a NATO member after Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, reinstituted conscription in 2017.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025
  • In the rugged, rolling terrain it’s known for, heavy rains collect quickly in its shallow streams and rivers that can burst into torrents like the deadly flood wave that swept along the Guadalupe River on July 4.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 6 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ball. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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