Synonyms

carry the ball

Idioms

Take charge, advance a cause, as in In our lab any of the assistants can carry the ball. This usage comes from such sports as football, where the ball-carrying player gives the team yardage or a touchdown. By the early 1900s it was being transferred to other endeavors.

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.

See Examples For:

carry the ball

The Italian boasts an impressive physical base that allows him to carry the ball with power.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Baleba's ability to carry the ball over large distances makes him a good player to take advantage of these situations.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

With City's attackers waiting before dropping deep, City's defenders are able to carry the ball into the space that opens up.

From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026

When USC was without its top two backs for the Las Vegas Bowl in December, Jackson stepped in to carry the ball 16 times for 66 yards and a touchdown.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2025

Since Dad went to church only if one of us was being christened—in other words, about once a year—Mother had to carry the ball when it came to enrolling us in Sunday school.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023