ball up
Idioms-
Roll something into a ball, as in She loved to knit and was always balling up her yarn . [Early 1800s]
-
Confuse or bungle, as in Jane got all balled up at the beginning of her speech , or Henry really balled up that exam . This term may come from the fact that when a horse is driven over soft or partly thawed snow, the snow becomes packed into icy balls on its hoofs, making it stumble. Another theory is that it alludes to the vulgar term balls for testicles. [First half of 1900s]
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.
“I asked him, ‘You want us to throw the ball up at the goal line and you can outjump them?’
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
The best teams in the league, in response, have prioritised players who are capable of holding the ball up, carrying the ball over big distances, and able to beat their marker one against one.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Playing with my back to goal and holding the ball up is my big strength. You don’t have to be a giant to play that target-man role.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Often an isolated figure up front, he failed to hold the ball up and get Scotland up the park, managing just 11 touches before being substituted for Lyndon Dykes on 71 minutes.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
He used every muscle from his toes to his neck to heave the ball up.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
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.
