eight ball
Britishnoun
-
(in pool) the black ball, marked with the number eight
-
in a difficult situation; snookered
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A day never passed without me fully aware that we now lived our lives squarely behind the eight ball.
From Salon • May 11, 2025
How can I make sure our financial future isn’t a magic eight ball?
From Slate • Aug. 26, 2023
“I think we’re behind the eight ball on this one,” Mr. Shepherd added.
From New York Times • Nov. 30, 2022
From an organizational philosophy, they’re kind of behind the eight ball because they have so much money tied up in a few offensive players.”
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2022
Rowan took his shot and accidentally sunk the eight ball, ending the game.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
