ball 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈbȯl How to pronounce ball (audio)
Definition of ballnext
1
as in sphere
a more or less round body or mass the little rubber ball used in racquetball a ball of string

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ball

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in dance
a social gathering for dancing a ball to celebrate the inauguration

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Carter has the skills to play on both sides of the ball — and a coach who may just let him. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 Ethan Pecko struck out four in his major-league debut, five Houston relievers pitched shutout ball for five-plus innings and Christian Vázquez homered as the Astros beat the Angels 3-2 on Wednesday night. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
The rayon-spandex knit is soft, stretchy, and virtually wrinkle-proof, so it can be balled into the corner of a tote bag as a backup outfit and still look fine at dinner. — Robin Raven, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2026 Then there’s Cofie, who balled his way into a draft combine invite this spring, and Rice, whose name will be known in draft circles soon enough. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for ball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ball
  1. sphere
  2. bullet
  3. dance
  4. round
  5. globe
  6. ammunition
  7. prom
  8. roll
Noun
  • Miranda is a Broadway giant, known for Hamilton and the music in Disney’s Moana, and has stepped into the political sphere several times.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Betancourt rose to prominence in the oil sphere by transforming NABEP from a small operator into one of the country’s leading producers.
    — Fabiola Zerpa, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of sphere
Noun
  • Tubes from hospital equipment were still attached to his face, gunshot wounds on his right side were still gaping, and tattoos which included a gun and a bullet casing were still embedded in his skin, a permanent memorial to the tools of his demise.
    — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • In June, Wior’s firm raised $200 million, in a round led by Smash Capital, on the strength of its Bullfrog platform, which can respond to a drone threat in seconds by shooting them out of the sky with bullets.
    — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of bullet
Noun
  • In the musical, one of the story's most iconic moments, the rumble, is brought to life through dance.
    — Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Going the extra mile with creative, interesting cocktails gives each bar a more elevated, mature vibe than the typical drinking establishments and dance clubs slinging vodka-sodas and High Noons — without losing any of the fun.
    — Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of dance
Verb
  • New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia would round out the early states, throughout February.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan, and Virginia round out the early states, throughout February, according to the plan endorsed by the Democratic National Committee at its meeting in Texas.
    — Mike Catalini, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of round
Noun
  • Despite its globe-trotting kidnapping plot, much of the movie’s tension comes down to people in rooms trying to persuade an old man to part with his money.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The psychological revenge thriller of Season 1 opens up into a globe-trotting espionage thriller taking Reece across the Indian Ocean, Southern and Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of globe
Noun
  • Her mother, meanwhile, is backed up by her second husband (Kwon), a mild-mannered documentary filmmaker whose profession gives his wife yet more ammunition in her smiling disparagement of Sanghee.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The ammunition matched the casing that Fort Worth police cadets found near the scene of the shooting, according to the affidavit.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of ammunition
Noun
  • At her senior prom, a crown was placed on Cheryl’s flaming red hair.
    — Dateline NBC, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Two teenagers are taking their creativity to the next level with impressive prom dress and prom tux creations, both made out of duct tape.
    — Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of prom
Verb
  • Nakase rolled with the bench unit for much of the fourth quarter, asking Kaitlyn Chen to run point and Hayes to create off the dribble.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Then, naturally, a vintage cherry-red Cadillac rolled onto the stage.
    — Jesús Triviño Alarcón, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of roll

Phrases Containing ball

Browse Nearby Words

balky
ball
ballad
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ball. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ball

Nglish: Translation of ball for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All