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 …—Business Week
Business WeekExamples 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
Take her out to the (tennis) ball game, and Katie Holmes is going to hit it big.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2025
Take them out to the ball game!
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025
Attracting candidates to your pipeline isn't the problem, but attracting the best talent in the market is another ball game.
—David Paffenholz, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Other fun activities include riding in a World War II bomber at Lunken Airport Days, posing for a photo opp in Barbie's iconic pink car at the Cincinnati Musuem's Barbie exhibit or taking yourself out to a ball game at Great American Ball Park.
—Caroline Ritzie, The Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ball game
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.
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2025
Take them out to the ball game!
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025
Attracting candidates to your pipeline isn't the problem, but attracting the best talent in the market is another ball game.
—David Paffenholz, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Other fun activities include riding in a World War II bomber at Lunken Airport Days, posing for a photo opp in Barbie's iconic pink car at the Cincinnati Musuem's Barbie exhibit or taking yourself out to a ball game at Great American Ball Park.
—Caroline Ritzie, The Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2025
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 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share