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
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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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ball
Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
As the owners fired up a countertop popcorn machine, a disco ball hanging from the ceiling cast hundreds of shimmering reflections across the room.
—Jo Yurcaba, NBC news, 31 Jan. 2026
Zach Harper, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Trump's pin features a cartoon version of himself with his mouth open, brows furrowed and fists balled at his sides.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ball
Noun
Schelotto was lined up in front of the goal and kicked the ball through a small opening in a wall of defenders and into the right side of the goal.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
As the owners fired up a countertop popcorn machine, a disco ball hanging from the ceiling cast hundreds of shimmering reflections across the room.
—Jo Yurcaba, NBC news, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
Jimmy Butler balled out with 32 points and Steph Curry had 27 to help bury New York in this one.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Trump's pin features a cartoon version of himself with his mouth open, brows furrowed and fists balled at his sides.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ball
Verb
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While King lends experience and leadership, freshman point guard Geralynn Byers-Veal provides contagious energy and voice that can be 'round the gymnasium.—
Rick Cantu,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Jan. 2026
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Lucy Halliday, Rowan Blanchard, Mattea Conforti, Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana and Birva Pandya round out the cast.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The team created a scalable process that rolls flat, two-dimensional MXene sheets into ultra-thin tubular structures known as MXene nanoscrolls.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Jan. 2026
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These are the romance movies that lean into big emotions, meaningful connections, and the kind of love that lingers long after the credits roll — and will likely leave you balling your eyes out.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ball. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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