carry the ball

phrase

: to perform or assume the chief role : bear the major portion of work or responsibility

No one else is available to make the arrangements, so it's up to you to carry the ball.

Examples of carry the ball in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Top running back Fluff Bothwell, who entered the game nursing a lower-body injury, carried the ball only once for 1 yard on the Bulldogs' opening series and watched the second half with a boot on his left foot. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

That’s when Carr and the Irish offense went to work with a series of methodical and physical drives, leaning on the run in wet conditions to carry the ball right into the heart of the defensive front and consistently move the chains. — Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 3 Oct. 2026

Gateway junior Nydrell Thigpen has carried the ball 71 times for 557 yards and 6 TDs. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

The Lions carried the ball 33 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns, and Jared Goff was only sacked once. — CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for carry the ball

• autosomal
• cholesterol
• ergosterol
• lysosomal
• microsomal
• mycorrhizal
• neanderthal
• resorcinol
• ribosomal
• salbutamol
• aerosol
• alcohol