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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ball game
However, installing many small, disparate tiles in this area is a whole different ball game, both practically and aesthetically.
—
Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
The director is the whole ball game.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
There’s plenty to love about the ball game in For the Love of the Game, and Raimi’s love of baseball comes through in the sports sequences.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
To be fair, building a relative handful of batteries for a low-volume motorcycle is a whole different ball game from, say, Toyota having to validate and stand behind thousands or millions of car batteries under warranty.
—IEEE Spectrum, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ball game
Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
The director is the whole ball game.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
There’s plenty to love about the ball game in For the Love of the Game, and Raimi’s love of baseball comes through in the sports sequences.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
To be fair, building a relative handful of batteries for a low-volume motorcycle is a whole different ball game from, say, Toyota having to validate and stand behind thousands or millions of car batteries under warranty.
—IEEE Spectrum, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ball game
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ball game
Noun
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Westin was the dominant force in Friday’s crosstown rivalry game.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
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Nilan and Miller spent a lot of those minutes punching each other, Nilan as a Canadien and Miller as a Bruin, during the 1980s iteration of the ancient rivalry.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
2 May 2026
Noun
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Michalle arrived home from work, appraised the situation, and burst out laughing.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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For his part, Heat resident Pat Riley last week indicated a middle ground might be required, citing end-of-clock situations when the Heat’s best scorers need to have the ball in their hands.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Noun
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The project is particularly acrimonious, drawing out geographical battles between north and south and thorny fights between officials who want to build the tunnel and environmentalists and Delta residents seeking to protect the local ecosystem and their way of life.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Without losing a man or a ship, Dewey’s squadron destroyed the Spanish fleet in the first American naval battle against a foreign power in almost five decades.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Bad Wolf was commissioned by the BBC and Disney+, along with BBC Studios, to be the producer for hire that made 26 episodes in this big BBC and Disney+ deal… There was never any talk of more than that.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
7 May 2026
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Oil prices sank Wednesday, and stock markets rallied worldwide with hopes that the United States and Iran are nearing a deal to allow ships to deliver crude from the Persian Gulf once again to their customers.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
Noun
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In contrast to his offensive struggles, Ohtani has been dominant on the mound.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
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But what was more surprising Monday night were Embiid’s struggles in his Sixers’ 137-98 loss to the Knicks.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
Noun
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Carly elevates the aesthetic activities of suburban women everywhere to the status of—what, exactly?—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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The airline is also honoring Spirit frequent-flyer statuses and benefits on Southwest, such as early boarding.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
Noun
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Friendly competition is part of the fuel for starter Davis Martin.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
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The concept of everyone coming together for one evening — and pausing their competition for the good of the overall TV business — had some legs.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Made in response to a difficult breakup, the work alludes to two lovers parting ways, but also to Pau’s memories of isolation as a severely asthmatic child in a notoriously polluted city, lying in bed staring at the wall and inventing stories to distract herself from the difficulty of breathing.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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The $30 million, 28-story towers contained 3,000 rooms, an 18-hole rooftop miniature golf course complete with sand traps and its own hospital.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ball game.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ball%20game. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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