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• A game
  A game

  noun

  a person’s best effort, abilities, or achievement.
• 'A' game
  'A' game

  noun

  one's best possible performance, esp in the phrase to bring or take one's 'A' game

A game

American  

Or A-game,

noun

Informal.

1. a person’s best effort, abilities, or achievement.

   The candidate brought her A game to the debate.

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'A' game British  

noun

1. informal one's best possible performance, esp in the phrase to bring or take one's 'A' game

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Etymology

Origin of A game

In reference to a sports contest, with the letter A indicating peak performance

Example Sentences

A game of energetic ping-pong unfolded underneath the gallery’s fluorescent light, beams of identification, recollections or stabs of grief bouncing off each piece in the exhibition.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

He made his return to rugby in an England A game against France but was red-carded for a high shot on Antoine Hastoy.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

He made his return to rugby in an England A game against France, but earned a red card for a high shot on Antoine Hastoy in the 34th minute.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

"Very frustrating. One minute of madness. A game we never looked in trouble," Forest boss Sean Dyche told TNT Sports, with Braga not even managing a single shot on target.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

A game between two older girls’ teams was winding up on a nearby field.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John