hardball
Americannoun
adjective
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tough or ruthless.
He wasn't ready for the hardball politics of Washington.
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outspoken, challenging, or difficult.
Reporters asked the president some hardball questions.
idioms
noun
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baseball as distinct from softball
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informal to act in a ruthless or uncompromising way
Etymology
Origin of hardball
Explanation
If you want to play hardball, you’re not messing around. You’re a shrewd negotiator and you’ll do anything to get what you want. Or maybe you just want to play baseball, which is also known as hardball. You can use the slightly old-fashioned hardball for this all-American sport, particularly to distinguish it from softball, which is played with similar rules but a larger, slightly softer ball. You can also use the word informally to mean "ruthless methods." So if a businessperson, politician, or journalist plays hardball, they’re being super competitive and try to win at all costs.
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.
Iran is “playing hardball here because they believe that they have the upper hand,” said Ali Vaez, the Iran project director of the Crisis Group, a conflict-resolution organization.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
The Dodgers easily swept the best-of-three duel with the overmatched Reds on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium with a frolicking 8-4 victory … just in time to uneasily hike into the home of heated hardball.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 2, 2025
And Variety has noted that persistent hardball could win these companies FCC favor—but also inspire Disney to no longer offer ABC as an affiliate option when negotiations between networks and broadcasters come up next year.
From Slate • Sep. 23, 2025
NBC News reported that in April 2017, 59% of Democrats supported compromising with Trump and Republicans on legislation, while 33% wanted them to play hardball.
From Salon • Sep. 18, 2025
Hattie Mae, the hardball reporter, dropped her pen, staring up at the man.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
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.
