as in rolled
to form into a round compact mass
balled up the paper and threw it at the garbage can
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 balled
Dr. Lauren Kurtz, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2026
Pare raised both hands, balled in fists, pumping away.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
The Knicks had a chance to cut Phoenix’s lead down to just four with under a minute left in regulation, but Karl-Anthony Towns air-balled a wide-open three at the top of the key.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
Trump's pin features a cartoon version of himself with his mouth open, brows furrowed and fists balled at his sides.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Pre-dug and balled include white pine, Norway spruce, and Colorado blue spruce.
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
In a statement win for the Mustangs, Ralston Valley QB Zeke Andrews balled out.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Her brother cannon-balled off a rock to join her.
—Brianna Randall, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 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
Verb
Bare root trees and shrubs, as the name suggests, are not sold in a pot or balled and burlapped.
—Dr. Lauren Kurtz, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2026
Pare raised both hands, balled in fists, pumping away.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
The Knicks had a chance to cut Phoenix’s lead down to just four with under a minute left in regulation, but Karl-Anthony Towns air-balled a wide-open three at the top of the key.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
Trump's pin features a cartoon version of himself with his mouth open, brows furrowed and fists balled at his sides.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Pre-dug and balled include white pine, Norway spruce, and Colorado blue spruce.
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
In a statement win for the Mustangs, Ralston Valley QB Zeke Andrews balled out.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Her brother cannon-balled off a rock to join her.
—Brianna Randall, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balled
Adjective
-
And when belugas produce sound, the rounded structure on their head, called a melon, changes shape.—
Kelsey Monstrola,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The study got its start when co-author Brian Gootee, a geologist with the Arizona Geological Survey, noticed a resemblance between sand deposits downstream of the Grand Canyon and in the Bidahochi—both contained pink, rounded grains that seemed to have been transported by the same river.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Needing to hole out his second bunker shot to miraculously save par and his Masters chances, DeChambeau made it out of the bunker, but nowhere close to the hole as his ball rolled off the green and onto the fairway.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Mullins was the name that rolled off everyone’s lips during the Final Four.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The delightfully bulbous light now features color-changing, dimming, and smart home control.—
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy,
The Verge,
15 Apr. 2026
-
How to Plant Dahlia Tubers Dahlia tubers have a bulbous body at one end, and a small crown with future growth points called eyes at the other.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Socks Are Inside Other Clothes Did the sock actually enter another space-time continuum—or did it get wadded up in someone's pant leg?—
Katie Cloyd,
Martha Stewart,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Under magnification the spores appear roundish, colorless, and smooth to slightly rough.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The roots are roundish and somewhere between a golf ball and a tennis ball in size.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The meteorite lacked chondrules, spherical features embedded in the vast majority of material that falls to Earth from space.—
Maliya Ellis,
Houston Chronicle,
5 Apr. 2026
-
That acceleration, which for one mass orbiting another (like a planet orbiting a star) is both non-spherical and asymmetrical, necessitates the emission of gravitational radiation in order to conserve both energy and momentum.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Its single, blue-gray, globular stem may produce a big white flower in early summer.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Also known as a globular stink bug, these invasive bugs are similar to stink bugs that come indoors looking for warmth for the winter.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
20 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Briefly appearing in a TikTok video about the new MacBook Neo, a brand-new, rotund character based on Apple's iconic Finder application, the file manager on Apple computers, is taking the internet by storm.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
His rotund frame and bald head gave him the appearance of a human bowling ball.—
Gabriel Sherman,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Balled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balled. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
