play ball
Idioms-
Cooperate, as in The opposing attorneys refused to play ball with us . [ Slang ; c. 1900]
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Get going, start, as in It's time to get a move on; let's play ball . This usage comes from the baseball umpire's call to start a game. [ Slang ; late 1800s]
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.
Now, if only the energy gods would also play ball by keeping the lights on for the matches.
From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026
This is playoff basketball — grow up and play ball.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2026
"And they'd all got the memo to play ball and deliver an opening episode full of sizzling chemistry, cheeky banter and decent anecdotes," she wrote.
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026
Still, with more American buyers demanding this type of transparency, Chinese trading companies have to play ball or risk losing business, lawyers say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 28, 2026
Anyway, I was standing there watching them play ball, and this old dude just takes off.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
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.
