ball 1 of 3

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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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 rapper, who has won two Grammys, mentioned the possibility of playing ball in China, specifically for the Monkey Kings, in podcasts while promoting his latest album, The Fall-Off, which came out in February. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026 Now Riggio has a full season to adjust and master Double A ball, always considered the hump level on the road to the big leagues. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
Isaiah Collier, who was balling out and playing 34 minutes a night, is most impacted. Stan Son, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026 Arrange dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ball
Verb
  • That’s little comfort for those bound for Asia, which would then have to round Africa to do so, adding weeks to the journey.
    Flavio Macau, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Bushnell Park in Hartford rounded out Connecticut’s representation at 149th.
    Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Khloe Pereira went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs, while Leah Perez finished 2-for-5 with a walk and four runs as Greater New Bedford (2-0) rolled to a 14-5 win over Dartmouth.
    Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Bocce — an ancient Roman sport that evolved into a popular Italian lawn-bowling game — has rolled into breweries and bars, too.
    Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ball. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

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