ball 1 of 3

1
as in sphere
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 bullet
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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ball

2 of 3

noun (2)

ball

3 of 3

verb

as in to round
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 ball
Noun
Five of them will be white balls with numbers from 1 to 69. Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Aug. 2025 Knows how to win one-on-ones, beat man coverage, settle in zones, catch the ball, run, break tackles. Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2025 In the first, Ohtani swung at the first pitch and reached when first baseman Alec Burleson booted the ball for an error. Beth Harris, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2025 With this garment, the dancer moves about the floor on the ball of their foot. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ball
Verb
  • San Jose in California rounds out the top 10 with 79.3 searches per home.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
  • The Dolphins on Monday welcomed back a tight end from the Brian Flores era and continued to wait on a former Pro Bowl tight end who’s rounding into form after a year in retirement.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The montage opened with a solo photo of Beatrice giving a soft smile and rolled to show shots of the sisters together, including a fun image of them holding sandwiches and a selfie with their mother, Sarah Ferguson. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage?
    Janine Henni, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
  • On Friday, the Trump administration rolled those extensions back, saying that CSPA protections would once again only apply when a visa becomes available via the Department of State.
    Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ball. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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