balls 1 of 3

Definition of ballsnext
plural of ball
1
as in spheres
a more or less round body or mass the little rubber ball used in racquetball a ball of string

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2
as in bullets
a usually round or cone-shaped little piece of lead made to be fired from a firearm found a cache of musket balls while excavating the old fort

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balls

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of ball

balls

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of ball
as in rounds
to form into a round compact mass balled up the paper and threw it at the garbage can

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of balls
Noun
Soups and meat balls were measured below proper hot food temperature. Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado may 8, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026 That was a span of 19 balls in play — 13 grounders, two fly balls and four softer line drives. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026 Vanesa went all the way, taking the prizes for all five balls. Michael Schneider, Variety, 8 May 2026 Winning with all five balls unlocks the game’s top rewards. James Powel, USA Today, 8 May 2026 Up till now, the three babies had been totally white fluff balls. Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 8 May 2026 In the nine-run victory on DLS Method, Marsh smashed 111 off 56 balls with nine sixes and nine fours in Lucknow’s total of 209-3 after the game was reduced to 19-overs-a-side due to rain interruptions during Lucknow's innings and Bengaluru’s target was revised to 213. ABC News, 7 May 2026 The unsinkable Jansen is back to snap balls through his legs during punts and field-goal attempts. Mike Kaye updated May 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026 Welcome to a Thursday Nightcaps — the one where Nick Bosa's model girlfriend, Ella Ailiff, gets summer rolling by smoking tennis balls in a pink bikini. Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Verb
The second and third outs were called third strikes, both of them initially balls before All-Star catcher Realmuto challenged through the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), or so called robot umpires, that will be used in the regular season for the first time this year. CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026 Arrange dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Mar. 2026 Each team received their shipment of logo balls several weeks ago from the Wilson factory so that equipment managers would be able to properly prepare the footballs for their respective offenses. Kristi Scales jan. 5, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026 Place balls 3 inches apart on 3 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper (about 12 cookies per sheet). Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2025 Defense overall just balls Two. Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balls
Verb
  • Canyon Ranch Tucson rounds out the list with a dedicated cold plunge pool inside its larger holistic wellness programming.
    Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
  • Finally, the ultraportable Asus ZenScreen rounds out the set at 27% off.
    Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 5 May 2026
Verb
  • Both surfaces are superhydrophobic, meaning water forms droplets and rolls off instead of spreading.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 3 May 2026
  • Distiller Donald MacLeod rolls a barrel of whisky in the warehouse of Isle of Harris Distillery in Tarbert, on the Isle of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides, in Scotland, on April 30, 2025.
    Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 1 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Balls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balls. Accessed 10 May. 2026.

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