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

See Examples For:

ball game

Amid concern that kids playing in the streets would get hit by cars, Los Angeles made it a misdemeanor to play baseball, basketball, soccer or any other ball game on a street or sidewalk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

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

The removal of the flesh-and-blood element in something so human as a ball game will be pitched as a great stride forward, but it’s actually a major loss.

From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 3, 2026

“I hear you had quite a ball game there, young man. Let’s have a look.”

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok