BALL GAME Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

ball game

noun

Definition of ball game

as in rivalry

an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another I'm still in this ball game, so don't count me out yet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in situation

position with regard to conditions and circumstances with the new regulations in place, investors are facing a whole new ball game

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 game While the Athletics hosted the Angels in Sacramento, their Single-A affiliate minor league team, Stockton Ports, hosted lots of dads who were excited to take their kids, young and grown, out to the ball game. — Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 22 June 2026 And before the perpetually whiny and moronic peanut gallery says that sports teams have special nights all the time, that’s true, but celebrating heritage, or veterans who fought and died for this country is just an eency weency bit different than force-feeding the gay agenda at a ball game! — Tomi Lahren Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026 The senior classes have won 95 ball games in three years – that’s incredible. — Charles Baggarly & Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 June 2026 Stop by the visitor center to check out volleyballs, basketballs, Frisbees, cornhole sets, baseballs and bats, or ladder ball games. — Taryn Shorr-McKee, Midwest Living, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for ball game

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ball game

Noun

At least until kick-off, club rivalry will be set aside; there will be northern English empathy.

— Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Week 1 is full of national showdowns and nonregion rivalries.

— Jack Leo, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of rivalry

Noun

Paramount Skydance representatives are expected to meet on Monday with the California Attorney General’s office to discuss a potential settlement of the states’ antitrust case, according to two sources familiar with the situation.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
Mark Fowler, executive director of the Northwest Municipal Conference, said a similar situation occurred five to 10 years ago.

— Steve Zalusky, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of situation

Noun

The twin springs that gave the Revolutionary War battle its name are no more, inundated by the 1940s project that flooded the Santee River basin for hydroelectric power and flood control.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Outrageousness seems to be the point of these battles, which have no apparent criteria, judges, or rules.

— Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of battle

Noun

Tensions escalated this week after the deadline for Washington and Tehran to negotiate a peace deal formally expired on Monday, despite relations having nosedived — and fighting restarted — weeks prior.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
That tariff rate was later reduced to 15% when the two sides agreed on a trade deal, but uncertainty remains about the stability of that agreement and how imports of certain European goods, such as steel, will be taxed by Washington.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of deal

Noun

Yet after initially acknowledging the economic struggle, the government once again accused the protesters of being foreign agents before unleashing one of the worst crackdowns in the Islamic Republic’s history.

— Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
That ambiguity is echoed in Banks’ score, which takes on the tone of a lament and a celebration, frustration and hope, struggle and liberation, the quest for transcendence in the face of the challenges posed by daunting inequities.

— George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggle

Noun

There is something deeply hypocritical about discovering and using the language of women’s liberation only when your own status, reputation, or income is at stake.

— Laura Jung, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
Jordan called for domestic violence groups and immigrant advocates to work more closely together when supporting survivors whose immigration status may complicate their efforts to leave abusive situations.

— Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of status

Noun

But as more money and bigger names entered, competition grew fiercer, pushing a drive to export the dramas overseas for more revenue — and use whatever means available to cut costs.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
While ChatGPT’s release in late 2022, helped spark a flurry of competition and advances for large language models, the same idea isn’t easily applied to robots because of their complexity.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of competition

Noun

Read More TopicsVenice Film Festival Get the latest fashion stories, style, and tips, handpicked for you, everyday.

— Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 Aug. 2026
Still, state media have been highlighting stories about cafes and other businesses being forced to close for failing to enforce rules on clothing.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of story

Browse Nearby Words

balletic

ball game

ball games

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ball game.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ball%20game. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ball game

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on ball game

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tilde

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes