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.
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
During the match, supporters in the stands held signs, including "Pawol making HERstory," and "the time has come for one & all to play ball".
From BBC • Aug. 9, 2025
And there’s the whole other theme here where it would appear that Adams was coached by Bove to essentially offer: I’ll really play ball on immigration if you’ll dismiss the cases.
From Slate • Feb. 14, 2025
"That helps the whole ecosystem know where it's okay to play ball and where it's not," Farmer told the TV station.
From Salon • Jan. 21, 2025
“We haven’t seen the real Russ play ball yet,” Coach says.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
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.
