ball game

American  

Or ballgame

noun

ball games plural

1. any game played with a ball, especially baseball or softball.

2. Informal. a situation and all its attendant circumstances.

   Having a new administration in power changes the entire ball game at city hall.

3. Archaeology. a ceremonial game of both ritual and sporting significance, played by teams on a ball court in Mesoamerican cultures from the Preclassic period to the Spanish conquest.

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ball game British  

noun

1. any game played with a ball

2. a game of baseball

3. informal a situation; state of affairs (esp in the phrase a whole new ball game )

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ball games
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ball game

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

Minutes into the climb, the plebes roll their T-shirts up and throw them, like emcees at a ball game, toward the base of the monument, where other midshipmen use them to wipe off the grease.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026

Selling homes is a whole different ball game, and you have to bring something to the table.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

"I didn't want to lose the opportunity to play Venus, but it's a whole different ball game playing Jess," Jones said.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

“We work all year long to be in this situation to win a ball game and win a World Series. So it should be a fun one tomorrow.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025

Mr. Greene gave us a lot of homework over the weekend and Glen told him that he wouldn’t have a chance to get it done because of the ball game.

From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers