the name of the game
noun phrase
informal
: the basic goal or purpose of an activity
When all is said and done, in business, profit is the name of the game.
Examples of the name of the game in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Money was the name of the game where streamers were concerned at Series Mania this year.
—
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
Right now, the name of the game is paper football.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
With the purchase of a new, small-batch artisan mixer, experimentation will be the name of the game.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
Blonde was also the name of the game that evening for starlets like Nikki Glaser, Amelia Dimoldenberg, and Alix Earle, who embraced the color’s multitude of iterations — from strawberry to honey — while surprising fans with beauty refreshes to match their jaw-dropping gowns.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the name of the 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.
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
Right now, the name of the game is paper football.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
With the purchase of a new, small-batch artisan mixer, experimentation will be the name of the game.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
Blonde was also the name of the game that evening for starlets like Nikki Glaser, Amelia Dimoldenberg, and Alix Earle, who embraced the color’s multitude of iterations — from strawberry to honey — while surprising fans with beauty refreshes to match their jaw-dropping gowns.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the name of the game
Cite this Entry
“The name of the game.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20name%20of%20the%20game. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
