A game

American  

Or A-game,

noun

Informal.

1. a person’s best effort, abilities, or achievement.

   The candidate brought her A game to the debate.

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'A' game British  

noun

1. informal one's best possible performance, esp in the phrase to bring or take one's 'A' game

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Etymology

Origin of A game

In reference to a sports contest, with the letter A indicating peak performance

Example Sentences

Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt brought their A game, embracing method dressing without going overboard.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

Opener Sahibzada Farhan hit a robust half-century to help Pakistan post 190-9 in their T20 World Cup Group A game against United States in Colombo on Tuesday.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

The group A game between Canada and the USA is widely expected to be a dress rehearsal for next week's gold medal match given their dominance over the rest of the world.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

So everybody brought their A game to the session and we took it really seriously, but we also had a lot of fun and just really kind of got to know each other.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2025

A game of blackjack, on the other hand, is sensitive to its past.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos