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

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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

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ball

2 of 3

noun (2)

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

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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
From modular home setups to open development kits that let anyone with silver-ball dreams try their hand at game design, there was something for everyone. — ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026 Across six games, the running game has lost just 59 yards, and 31 of those are from Madsen keeping the ball. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
Coat the mixer bowl in olive oil pam, roll the dough ball around in it, then put in the oven (make sure the oven is off) or put in a ziplock bag until the next day. — Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Sep. 2026 With the Bombers’ bullpen depleted, the junk-balling lefty didn’t allow a baserunner while recording a three-inning save after Cole hit the showers. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 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
  • Scientists expected the asteroid’s surface to be a smooth, sandy sphere where OSIRIS-REx could seamlessly touch down.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • In this procedure, uranium-containing material is formed into tiny spheres by dipping them into a hot silicone-oil bath.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of sphere
Noun
  • Moments after driving away, the occupants realized Valdes had been struck in the abdomen by a stray bullet.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • A couple of years later, in his major studio debut, Abrams worked alongside Ryan Gosling in Gangster Squad until his shoeshine boy character caught a bullet during a mob ambush near a newsstand.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of bullet
Noun
  • Initially, Jessie’s overriding goal was simply to win back playtime with Bonnie, especially after becoming separated from her during a dance class.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Working with her daughter Rachele Regini, who oversees much of the programming, Chiuri hopes to create a space where theater, dance, music and other disciplines intersect.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of dance
Verb
  • Halpin watched the ball clear the wall in right-center then launched his bat over his head and into the sky before rounding the bases.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Brewers third baseman David Hamilton rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the ninth inning.
    — Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of round
Noun
  • The gas can always be liquefied and exported around the world to an energy-needy globe.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
  • For well-heeled, globe-trotting diners, Noma offered an escape from modernity and the sensation of communing with something more elemental and earthbound.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of globe
Noun
  • Investigators later seized three guns and ammunition from Bjornholt’s home.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Paporakis had hundreds of rounds of rifle ammunition and a manifesto expressing white supremacist and extremist ideologies, police said.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of ammunition
Noun
  • Despite burning down prom in Prime Video‘s Carrie, the titular telekinetic teen still got to dance a little, thanks to Mike Flanagan‘s big finale needle drop.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The goal is to show off how the high school gym has transformed into a high school prom, with all the stars and tinsel that implies.
    — Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of prom
Verb
  • The couple and their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, are reportedly living at a private, nonroyal residence in the Cotswolds, a rural area of rolling hills, villages and farms to the west of Oxford.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Generating more pressure could help the Chiefs disrupt the Chargers’ offense and help keep their unbeaten start rolling.
    — Neil Nakahodo, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of roll

Phrases Containing ball

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balky
ball
ballad
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Cite this Entry

“Ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ball. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ball

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ball

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