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
For a club with World Series aspirations like the Dodgers, the name of the game now is keeping their top arms healthy for October, and leaning on their depth to get through the regular season.
—
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Clever was often the name of the game on the show, like when a leading lady (Harley Jane Kozak's Mary Duvall McCormick) was killed by a giant C that fell on her from a sign on top of a building.
—Abby West, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2024
Versatility is the name of the game with this belt bag.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024
Slotting into and out of gears becomes the name of the game, crisp and precise without losing too much of the long throw of a classic shifter.
—Michael Van Runkle, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Small, colorful batches of sweet dough are the name of the game at Parlor, which sells Cronut-adjacent pastries in flavors like Bourbon caramel, raspberry pistachio, s’mores and cookies and cream.
—The Indianapolis Star, 29 Feb. 2024
Cate Le Bon Staying afloat is the name of the game for Dandelion.
—Jesse Locke, SPIN, 29 Feb. 2024
Realism is the name of the game for this look, with each nail featuring a realistic, 3-D rendering of a pickle with the Best Maid logo on his big toes.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 25 Feb. 2024
This means that chicken tenders are the name of the game in Texas going forward.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2024
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Clever was often the name of the game on the show, like when a leading lady (Harley Jane Kozak's Mary Duvall McCormick) was killed by a giant C that fell on her from a sign on top of a building.
—Abby West, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2024
Versatility is the name of the game with this belt bag.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024
Slotting into and out of gears becomes the name of the game, crisp and precise without losing too much of the long throw of a classic shifter.
—Michael Van Runkle, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Small, colorful batches of sweet dough are the name of the game at Parlor, which sells Cronut-adjacent pastries in flavors like Bourbon caramel, raspberry pistachio, s’mores and cookies and cream.
—The Indianapolis Star, 29 Feb. 2024
Cate Le Bon Staying afloat is the name of the game for Dandelion.
—Jesse Locke, SPIN, 29 Feb. 2024
Realism is the name of the game for this look, with each nail featuring a realistic, 3-D rendering of a pickle with the Best Maid logo on his big toes.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 25 Feb. 2024
This means that chicken tenders are the name of the game in Texas going forward.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the name of the game.' 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 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 24 Apr. 2024.
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