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
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
Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
A little kitten in Philadelphia is a fierce ball of light despite some early misgivings with a couple of his legs.
—Tj MacIas, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
Newly installed balled and burlapped plants need about 1 inch of water a week — be sure the root ball is getting watered.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ball
Noun
Five of them will be white balls numbered from 1 to 69, and one red Powerball numbered from 1 to 26.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
A little kitten in Philadelphia is a fierce ball of light despite some early misgivings with a couple of his legs.
—Tj MacIas, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
And Brickell, known for its clubsteraunts that cater to celebs and people who want to ball out, is one of those places that many locals only dine in when the budget allows.
—Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
Newly installed balled and burlapped plants need about 1 inch of water a week — be sure the root ball is getting watered.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ball
Verb
-
LaKeith Stanfield, Nick Nolte and Sissy Spacek round out the cast.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Eric Bogosian and Justin Kirk round out the cast, reprising their roles as Daniel Molloy and Raglan James from Interview With the Vampire.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Departing from its 1905 depot like a moving postcard, the train follows the Toccoa River, passing sycamores and sourwoods, rolling hills, and farms along the way.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Those involved in the parade rolled by in a colorful blur on roller skates, performed flag dances and wielded bubble makers.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ball. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share