ball and chain
noun
: something that limits one's freedom or ability to do things
Drugs are a ball and chain for many people.
(old-fashioned) He referred to his wife as "the ball and chain."
Examples of ball and chain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
He had been arrested in May 1863 and forced to walk hobbled by ball and chain from central L.A. to the Drum Barracks at the harbor.
—
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Jamie Hawkesworth / Courtesy of The Row The ole’ ball and chain at Alexander McQueen
Courtesy of Alexander McQueen
A little bejeweled tiger at Luar.
—Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024
Indianapolis residents will likely need to break out an umbrella Tuesday, Feb. 27, and potentially a weighted ball and chain, according to NWS.
—Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 26 Feb. 2024
Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly as Kill Bill characters Gogo Yubari and the Bride
Megan Fox brought her ball and chain — and fiancé Machine Gun Kelly — to the Casamigos Halloween party, dressing up as Gogo and the Bride from Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.
—EW.com, 28 Oct. 2023
It’s inspired by the silhouette of the fertility goddess and comes with a matching ottoman, resembling a ball and chain, which is rife with meaning.
—Talia Abbas, Glamour, 12 Sep. 2023
The muses for this enigmatic presence range from Paltrow (the indisputable leading avatar of this trend) and the Queen B to lawyer Amal Clooney and billionaire businesswoman Akshata Murthy, whose old ball and chain happens to be current British prime minister Rishi Sunak.
—Max Berlinger, Robb Report, 18 June 2023
Property taxes can be a ball and chain for San Antonio homeowners — especially in neighborhoods where property values have been rising fast.
—Marc Duvoisin, San Antonio Express-News, 27 Mar. 2023
Designed by Pesce, the infamous Up 5, a chair that resembles the lines of a female figure, and its sidekick, a literal ball and chain in the form of an ottoman, has recently been embraced by Hollywood set designers.
—Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2023
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Jamie Hawkesworth / Courtesy of The Row The ole’ ball and chain at Alexander McQueen
Courtesy of Alexander McQueen
A little bejeweled tiger at Luar.
—Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024
Indianapolis residents will likely need to break out an umbrella Tuesday, Feb. 27, and potentially a weighted ball and chain, according to NWS.
—Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 26 Feb. 2024
Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly as Kill Bill characters Gogo Yubari and the Bride
Megan Fox brought her ball and chain — and fiancé Machine Gun Kelly — to the Casamigos Halloween party, dressing up as Gogo and the Bride from Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.
—EW.com, 28 Oct. 2023
It’s inspired by the silhouette of the fertility goddess and comes with a matching ottoman, resembling a ball and chain, which is rife with meaning.
—Talia Abbas, Glamour, 12 Sep. 2023
The muses for this enigmatic presence range from Paltrow (the indisputable leading avatar of this trend) and the Queen B to lawyer Amal Clooney and billionaire businesswoman Akshata Murthy, whose old ball and chain happens to be current British prime minister Rishi Sunak.
—Max Berlinger, Robb Report, 18 June 2023
Property taxes can be a ball and chain for San Antonio homeowners — especially in neighborhoods where property values have been rising fast.
—Marc Duvoisin, San Antonio Express-News, 27 Mar. 2023
Designed by Pesce, the infamous Up 5, a chair that resembles the lines of a female figure, and its sidekick, a literal ball and chain in the form of an ottoman, has recently been embraced by Hollywood set designers.
—Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ball and chain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ball and chain
Cite this Entry
“Ball and chain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ball%20and%20chain. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share