balls 1 of 3

plural of ball
1
as in spheres
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 bullets
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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balls

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of ball

balls

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of ball
as in rounds
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 balls
Noun
Because the vapors are hazardous, scattering moth balls around your closet is always unsafe. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025 The pair combined excellently, sometimes with one-twos, and Eze repeatedly slotted through balls for Mateta to score on the angle. Liam Tharme, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025 Place the dough balls on the greased baking sheet, brush lightly with oil, and cover the baking sheet with plastic. Katie Parla, Saveur, 30 Oct. 2025 Archaeologists in Scotland have excavated over 100 weapon projectiles, including cannon shot and lead musket balls from one of the country’s most famous battlefields. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 Oct. 2025 What to know about Powerball To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball. Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025 Suddenly soundcheck turns into full-throttle, balls-to-the-wall performance with no warning. Ahmir “questlove” Thompson, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025 Clay pipes and drinking vessels were also found, along with unusual wooden bowling balls, used for early forms of lawn games. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025 And even if a few curve balls come in, that doesn’t necessarily overwhelm me. Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Arrange the dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2025 Defense overall just balls Two. Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balls
Verb
  • Making the press rounds lately, Stone’s wardrobe has featured many elevated shoe looks.
    Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Her friend Jordan Firstman rounds out the main cast as Charlie, a celebrity stylist, and other compatriots will appear in cameos throughout the season.
    Selome Hailu, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Affleck sighs and rolls her eyes.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Chicago has become a focal point for that standoff, with protesters gathering daily for weeks as Operation Midway Blitz rolls across the city.
    Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Balls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balls. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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