crystal ball

noun

1

: a sphere especially of quartz crystal traditionally used by fortune tellers

2

: a means or method of predicting future events

Examples of crystal ball in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There is no crystal ball, and one can’t be prepared for everything, but being operationally excellent is a great place to start. — Rick Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

In my crystal ball, Cincinnati goes 12-5, wins the AFC North and makes a playoff run. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

There is just one negative Salge sees in his crystal ball, and that is the ongoing beech leaf disease that's been rapidly spreading through our forests. — Eric Fisher, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

That is the finding of a new index from the National Association of Realtors, which aims to be a crystal ball for commercial real estate investors. — Diana Olick, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for crystal ball

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol
• gossypol

Kids Definition

crystal ball

noun

: a clear ball especially of quartz crystal used by a fortune-teller to predict the future