hardball

[ hahrd-bawl ]

noun

1. baseball, as distinguished from softball.

adjective

1. tough or ruthless:

   He wasn't ready for the hardball politics of Washington.

2. outspoken, challenging, or difficult:

   Reporters asked the president some hardball questions.

hardball

/ ˈhɑːdbɔːl /

noun

1. baseball as distinct from softball
2. play hardball informal.
   play hardball to act in a ruthless or uncompromising way

Word History and Origins

Origin of hardball¹

First recorded in 1825–35; hard + ball ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. play hardball, to act or work aggressively, competitively, or ruthlessly, as in business or politics.

Example Sentences

What determines how many appointments a president gets is a combination of pure luck and partisan hardball.

From Time

They used hardball tactics to push through a map for Oregon that eliminates one highly competitive seat and adds two Democratic-leaning seats.

From FiveThirtyEight

Last week on Hardball, Kathleen Parker said he is definitely running.

From The Daily Beast

Scott Simkus bemusingly explores it all in Outsider Baseball: The Weird World of Hardball on the Fringe, 1876—1950.

From The Daily Beast

In any case, the healthy sampling below confirms the narrative-friendly qualities of hardball.

From The Daily Beast

Will the Democrats engage in an aggressive, hardball type strategy?

From The Daily Beast

Transfixingly candid and gamely stepping up to the plate for a round of hardball, Lohan seemed to be answering yes.

From The Daily Beast