hardball
Americannoun
adjective
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tough or ruthless.
He wasn't ready for the hardball politics of Washington.
-
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.
“Agencies are just looking to squeeze down that fee, and they’re playing hardball to try and cut the rate that Trade Desk is charging them,” said Luke Stillman, managing director of Madison and Wall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
It wouldn’t be the first time that legislators have played hardball to work around restrictions on gerrymandering.
From Slate ● May 11, 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
The council said the restriction only referred to adult hardball cricket and argued the decision was based on "advice received from professional and legal advisors".
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2025
“Fine! Play hardball, Jonesy. I like that about you.”
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
