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
The Miami Dolphins have had one of the worst starts to the season among any team in the NFL, sitting at 1-5 and simply not doing enough on either side of the ball. Jon Conahan, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025 Though the ball ends up bouncing off of Bad Bunny’s shoulder and dropping to the floor, the clip cuts to him holding up his new keepsake with a big smile on his face. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
Apple has been low-balling its battery estimates for a while, though, and in our testing, the Series 10 lasted nearly 36 hours. PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2025 The longevity of the fabric and reduced buildup on the lint trap make the wool ball a better, all-natural alternative to disposable dryer sheets. Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ball
Verb
  • The deal will see all F1 races stream in the Apple TV app, with select races and all practice rounds streaming for free, even if users don’t subscribe to the service.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
  • That was followed by Iceland, Sweden, and Denmark, which rounded out the top five.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • By the time the tour hit Vancouver − her last stop on the Eras Tour – the stage glittered with two flyover cameras, jib arms, rolling camera tracks along the stage and microphones aimed squarely at the crowd.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
  • That case initially resulted in a half-billion-dollar penalty before a New York appellate court rolled most of it back earlier this year.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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