ball game

noun

variants or ballgame

ˈbȯl-ˌgām 

plural ball games or ballgames

1

: a game played with a ball

We have to take care of the basketball. If you don't have the basketball it's hard to win a ball game.

—LaToya Bennett, quoted in The Huntsville (Texas) Item

… returned a punt for a touchdown in the first half of the football game to help Georgia earn their first points of the ball game.

—Jonathan Williams

especially, US : a baseball game

… Lyons was thrown out trying to steal third to end the ball game …

—Mark Starr

2

informal

a

: a set of circumstances : situation

Driving in Britain is a different ball game.

—Robert Lacville

… once that blaze surged across the river, it would be a whole new ball game.

—Jeffrey J. Smith

b

: contest sense 1

… on Mar. 17, the candidates must stagger to high-stakes caucuses in Michigan, Mississippi, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Kentucky. The ball game could be over by Mar. 20 …

—Business Week

Synonyms

• battle
• combat
• competition
• conflict
• confrontation
• contention
• contest
• dogfight
• duel
• face-off
• grapple
• match
• rivalry
• strife
• struggle
• sweepstakes
• sweep-stake
• tug-of-war
• war
• warfare

Examples of ball game in a Sentence

He was popular because he was good at ball games.

Dad took us to a ball game.

watching a ball game on TV

Recent Examples on the Web

The 1978 World Series against the Dodgers saw the Yankees lose the first two ball games in Los Angeles. —Wayne G. McDonnell, Jr., Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Despite starting their top three pitchers in Sonny Gray, Fedde and Kyle Gibson, St. Louis was swept by the Reds, scoring four total runs in three virtually uncompetitive ball games. —Katie Woo, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024

Sales have become an afterthought with adaptation representing the whole ball game. —Simon Van Zuylen-Wood, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024

Not to be outdone, the Guardians and Yankees have also used eight pitchers in a nine inning postseason ball game during the Division Series. —Wayne G. McDonnell, Jr., Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined at sense 1