ball 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈbȯl How to pronounce ball (audio)
Definition of ballnext
1
as in sphere
a more or less round body or mass the little rubber ball used in racquetball a ball of string

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bullet
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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ball

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in dance
a social gathering for dancing a ball to celebrate the inauguration

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ball

3 of 3

verb

as in to round
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 ball
Noun
Johnson caught the ball, kept his feet out of the end zone and tossed it back to Nwankpa, who downed it at the 1. — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026 Caminero’s baseball year had started with a bang back in January, when the then-21-year-old hit a ball 454 feet to clinch a championship in the Dominican Winter League. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
Coat the mixer bowl in olive oil pam, roll the dough ball around in it, then put in the oven (make sure the oven is off) or put in a ziplock bag until the next day. — Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Sep. 2026 With the Bombers’ bullpen depleted, the junk-balling lefty didn’t allow a baserunner while recording a three-inning save after Cole hit the showers. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ball
  1. sphere
  2. bullet
  3. dance
  4. round
  5. globe
  6. ammunition
  7. prom
  8. roll
Noun
  • Her movie was launching her into a new sphere of opportunity — and visibility — in Hollywood, and there, a few inches away, was arguably the most famous filmmaker in the world.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Mildred is as self-satisfied in her own sphere as Yank is in his.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of sphere
Noun
  • That officer then shot into Perez's vehicle, lodging a bullet in his back, officials say.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
  • While the men were still loading their haul, bullets started flying.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of bullet
Noun
  • As recent writing on dance and cognition suggests, choreography is not simply a map of moving coordinates.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Nick makes friends, has adventures in New York City, falls in love and dances.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of dance
Verb
  • Wells ran through the stop sign of third-base coach Luis Rojas, who raised both arms before Wells rounded second.
    — Rob Maaddi, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Wells ran through a stop sign from third base coach Luis Rojas, who raised both arms before Wells rounded second.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of round
Noun
  • Yet all that hobnobbing and globe-trotting may not work this time for Digger, a climate change satire in which Cruise plays a Texas oil tycoon.
    — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026
  • With the fan and light turned off, check for loose globes, shades, bulbs, finials, or other decorative pieces.
    — Tricia Goss, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of globe
Noun
  • The polling failure will serve to give further ammunition to the Brazilian right and the Bolsonaro camp, which have long alleged that the nation's leading pollsters turn in work biased in favor of Lula and his Workers Party.
    — David Unsworth, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The robots deliver food, medicine and ammunition to frontline.
    — Greg Myre, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of ammunition
Noun
  • Maryuri Chavez Carranza Elder Chavez Carranza believed his last year of high school would consist of preparations for his graduation, prom and planning for his future.
    — Rebecca Gelpi-Ufret, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The music video, an homage to the prom night episode of Laguna Beach, opens with Morris, 36, and Cavallari getting ready for prom as Branch pulls up in a Mojito!
    — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of prom
Verb
  • An adult, child or animal can unintentionally roll onto the baby or otherwise obstruct the baby’s airway.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The pen already had the mechanics right, a ball rolling against a surface to deposit liquid evenly.
    — Duncan Wardle, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of roll

Phrases Containing ball

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balky
ball
ballad
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Cite this Entry

“Ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ball. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ball

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ball

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