crystal ball

American  

noun

1. a ball of clear crystal, glass, or the like, used in crystal gazing.

2. a method or means of predicting the future.

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crystal ball British  

noun

1. the glass globe used in crystal gazing

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crystal ball Idioms  

1. A means of predicting the future, as in So what does your crystal ball say about the coming election? The term is a figurative use of the crystal or glass ball used by fortune-tellers. [c. 1900]

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Etymology

Origin of crystal ball

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

“We don’t have a crystal ball, because we’re still at war,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

“If I had a crystal ball I could tell you now what is going to happen,” Heimo Schirgi, the World Cup chief operating officer for FIFA, said Monday.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

Well, unless you’ve got a reliable crystal ball, analyzing trends within economic datasets and models are the best bet.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

If we hadn’t already predicted she was going to break it for Richard Gere’s financier, this bubbly moment was our crystal ball glimpse into their eventual happy ending.

From Salon • Feb. 14, 2026

He concentrated so hard that something inside him cracked—as if a crystal ball had shattered in his stomach.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan