no ball
noun
an unfairly bowled ball.
no ball
Americannoun
Cricket.
no-ball
British
noun
-
cricket an illegal ball, as for overstepping the crease, throwing, etc, for which the batting side scores a run, and from which the batsman can be out only by being run out
-
rounders an illegal ball, esp one bowled too high or too low
verb
Etymology
Origin of no ball
First recorded in 1740–50
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.
See Examples For:
"There's no ball and there'd just be cones all around the pitch," says the former England defender, 48.
From BBC ● May 12, 2026
Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy took a wicket each in the first two overs before Zak Foulkes conceded 24 runs off the third over, which started with a no ball for four and three wides.
From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026
“Just tired of watching turnovers and no ball movement, no player movement,” USC coach Andy Enfield said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 4, 2024
He hit five sixes and a four in Harshal Patel’s 20th over — with one of the sixes coming off a no ball — for his 28-ball 62.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 25, 2021
The guy sitting on the side was about six feet and built pretty nice but he didn’t look hard enough to play no ball.
From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers
Not only did the captain survive the Ali no-ball, he also edged between the static slips off a furious Abbas when he had 34.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
It states "the third umpire shall determine whether the batter has been caught", including checking for a no-ball and "whether the batter has hit the ball".
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025
When he tried a swipe, the ball looped up to be caught on the leg side, only for the umpire to signal no-ball.
From BBC ● Dec. 1, 2025
On the opening day, he was bowled on 247 by Zimbabwe's Tanaka Chivanga, only for replays to show Chivanga had over-stepped for a no-ball.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2025
A no-ball in the same over sent up the first ten.
From Mike by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse
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.
