ball games

noun

plural of ball game
1
as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another I'm still in this ball game, so don't count me out yet

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in situations
position with regard to conditions and circumstances with the new regulations in place, investors are facing a whole new ball game

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 games Log temples atop the mounds overlooked wide plazas for ball games, ceremonies, and open-air markets. — ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026 Stop by the visitor center to check out volleyballs, basketballs, Frisbees, cornhole sets, baseballs and bats, or ladder ball games. — Taryn Shorr-McKee, Midwest Living, 4 June 2026 In addition to the 100-plus food vendors, there are also retail vendors, bungee jumping trampolines and giant inflatable water ball games. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 May 2026 Set the scene Arriving here at golden hour, past a paddock of horses and a wildflower field in which children are playing ball games, feels impossibly idyllic. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026 The two fans each have enough battery life to last through outdoor activities like ball games and day trips to Disney, or to keep you cool during a long car ride or a medium-length flight. — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 18 Apr. 2026 In addition to the youth ball games, the family visited some spring-training ballparks, including the one in Surprise, Arizona, where the Royals train. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026 At least not as long as the Knicks are winning ball games. — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026 From sports and ball games to jewelry-making and creative workshops, there is something to delight every child. — Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ball games
  1. rivalries
  2. situations
  3. battles
  4. deals
  5. struggles
  6. pictures
  7. competitions
  8. duels
Noun
  • Two longtime rivalries will be renewed, with the Boston Red Sox taking on the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies playing the Atlanta Braves.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The idea is to hold recurring shows where audiences can become invested in individual wrestlers, rivalries and stories rather than encountering lucha only at an occasional cultural festival.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of rivalries
Noun
  • The 49ers have played from ahead in each of their three games, minimizing obvious passing situations and third-and-longs.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • These features can automatically lock your phone in certain situations or require biometric authentication before sensitive account changes are made.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of situations
Noun
  • As 2016 neared, Thomas’ bandmates expected to reconvene for a 20th anniversary tour, however he was focused on 2015’s The Great Unknown, largely inspired by wife Marisol’s grueling health battles.
    — Leena Tailor, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Paris — Students fought running battles with police and several schools were ablaze Friday as a new day of violence gripped France with no end in sight to protests that have rocked the country.
    — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of battles
Noun
  • Both Kushner and his fellow envoy Witkoff have described approaching diplomacy as businessmen, identifying what each side wants, resolving obstacles and brokering deals.
    — Allegra Goodwin, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In the corporate world, that can look like closing more deals, executing launches faster, making better decisions under pressure and even experiencing lower rates of burnout.
    — Roy Ward, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of deals
Noun
  • Blues singer Ma Rainey is making a new recording, which leads to interesting conversations with her band and shows the struggles of Black artists in an industry run by white managers and agents.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
  • And their struggles rushing seemed to seep into the passing game, allowing the Bruins to focus on the aerial attack.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of struggles
Noun
  • But the sight of a man sleeping atop the shelter next to a shopping cart caught the attention of onlookers, some of whom pulled out their phones to take pictures, as first reported by KTLA.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Troublesome Creek, Kentucky, overflowed, destroying pictures of the late 13-year-old boy whom Campbell helped raise — and just about everything else in her home.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of pictures
Noun
  • Vidio’s original slate now tops 110 series, and the platform carries more than 70 global and national sports competitions, among them Wimbledon, Formula 1 and MotoGP.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Jeff Richardson, the Galleria’s senior general manager, said Great Big Game Show is coming to the Galleria, bringing game-show-style competitions to Roseville.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of competitions
Noun
  • In defence, his lack of physicality is becoming more glaring in a Premier League that is leaning more heavily than ever into duels, second balls and set pieces.
    — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The noodles, the cheese, the topping, the consistency—duels have been fought over less.
    — Josh Miller, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of duels

Browse Nearby Words

ball game
ball games
balling
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Cite this Entry

“Ball games.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ball%20games. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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