ball game
noun
variants
or ballgame
plural ball games or ballgames
1
: a game played with a ball
We have to take care of the basketball. If you don't have the basketball it's hard to win a ball game.—
LaToya Bennett, quoted in The Huntsville (Texas) Item
LaToya Bennett, quoted in The Huntsville (Texas) Item… returned a punt for a touchdown in the first half of the football game to help Georgia earn their first points of the ball game.—Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams
especially, US
: a baseball game
… Lyons was thrown out trying to steal third to end the ball game … —Mark Starr
Mark Starr 2
informal
a
: a set of circumstances : situation
Driving in Britain is a different ball game.—Robert Lacville
Robert Lacville… once that blaze surged across the river, it would be a whole new ball game.—Jeffrey J. Smith
Jeffrey J. Smith
b
: contest sense 1
… on Mar. 17, the candidates must stagger to high-stakes caucuses in Michigan, Mississippi, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Kentucky. The ball game could be over by Mar. 20 …—Businessweek
BusinessweekExamples of ball game in a Sentence
He was popular because he was good at ball games.
Dad took us to a ball game.
watching a ball game on TV
Recent Examples on the Web
The two fans each have enough battery life to last through outdoor activities like ball games and day trips to Disney, or to keep you cool during a long car ride or a medium-length flight.
—Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 18 Apr. 2026
His third pitch of the ball game — a 2-0 fastball left in the heart of the zone — was crushed by Francisco Lindor to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
In addition to the youth ball games, the family visited some spring-training ballparks, including the one in Surprise, Arizona, where the Royals train.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
However, installing many small, disparate tiles in this area is a whole different ball game, both practically and aesthetically.
—Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ball game
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Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 18 Apr. 2026
His third pitch of the ball game — a 2-0 fastball left in the heart of the zone — was crushed by Francisco Lindor to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
In addition to the youth ball games, the family visited some spring-training ballparks, including the one in Surprise, Arizona, where the Royals train.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
However, installing many small, disparate tiles in this area is a whole different ball game, both practically and aesthetically.
—Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ball game
Cite this Entry
“Ball game.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ball%20game. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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