1
as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
I'm still in this ball game, so don't count me out yet
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Recent Examples of ball game
The ol’ ball game Saldana had to stop by security after the game to pick up the bat and ball.
—
Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
To start, there are no bicycles or ball games, no mirrors larger than the palm of one’s hand, and almost no personal property.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
For Ukraine this is the whole ball game.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2025
The Cubs took the series opener over the Orioles in a 1-0 ball game with the only run coming via an Ian Happ sacrifice fly in the second inning.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ball game
Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
To start, there are no bicycles or ball games, no mirrors larger than the palm of one’s hand, and almost no personal property.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
For Ukraine this is the whole ball game.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2025
The Cubs took the series opener over the Orioles in a 1-0 ball game with the only run coming via an Ian Happ sacrifice fly in the second inning.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ball game
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ball game
Noun
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The Border War will be back in Columbia next week, the renewal of a historic rivalry that hasn’t been played in football since 2011.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
29 Aug. 2025
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Apart from maintaining his streak at the Diamond League, this win also highlights Lyle’s and Tebogo’s growing on-track rivalry.—
Paras J. Haji,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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While giving his thoughts on the situation, one former NBA star made some iconic comparisons.—
Kevin McCormick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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This is a situation where inflation is now an emergent risk … and gold is the only game in town.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The move is the latest update in a years-long battle over the home of the military's newest combatant command, which is now based in Colorado Springs.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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In August 2024, Francesca opened up about her mom’s battle with Parkinson’s disease in a video on TikTok.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The sale of Isak, a deal The Athletic estimates has generated around £80million in accounting profit, has only helped their position further.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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Then keep scrolling to shop more fall-ready Pottery Barn bedding deals.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The decision stems from a class action lawsuit filed during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the financial struggles of disabled individuals who lost part-time jobs.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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During an appearance on Today With Jenna & Friends, Cummings, 43, candidly joked about her experience with postpartum depression after welcoming her son Henry back in December 2023, sharing that her struggles even inspired the name of her ongoing Big Baby tour.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The tool allows people to view code enforcement cases on an interactive map and filter them by date range, type of violation or status, according to the release.—
NWA Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
3 Sep. 2025
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By the end of the fall 2022 semester, Kohberger’s status at the university was in jeopardy, according to police records.—
Sasha Pezenik,
ABC News,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The treble — a club winning their domestic league title, main domestic cup competition and the European Cup/Champions League — has happened 11 times, with Barcelona and Bayern Munich the only sides to do so more than once.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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Budgets are tight, and even in this tiny economic niche, competition is steep because many sell the same products to the same audience.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This is a developing story and will be updated.—
Alejandra Jaramillo,
CNN Money,
7 Aug. 2025
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ball game.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ball%20game. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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