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.
You’ve got to play games, or you’ve got to play ball with them.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
Now, if only the energy gods would also play ball by keeping the lights on for the matches.
From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026
As the chopper circled Miami, the cameraman explained the purpose of the shoot: “Everybody and their mama wants to know where he’s going to play ball next year.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026
But Dukakis didn't play ball, opting instead to purchase a replacement from the academy for $78.
From BBC ● May 1, 2026
See, this is why I can never play ball with him.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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.
