play hardball

Idioms  

1. Act aggressively and ruthlessly, as in It's only a month before the election, and I'm sure they'll start to play hardball. This term originated in baseball, where it alludes to using the standard ball as opposed to the slightly larger and minimally softer ball of softball. It was transferred to describe aggressive behavior only in the 1970s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

play hardball

As next Tuesday's transfer deadline nears, Villa will play hardball for their all-time record Premier League goalscorer.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

So, with the deal expected to close in the fall, county officials decided to play hardball.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026

I doubt he expected states like Virginia to play hardball.

From Slate ● Apr. 24, 2026

Harold Daggett, the leader of the ILA, was prepared to play hardball, telling workers on a picket line on Tuesday night, “nothing’s gonna move without us.”

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2024

Now that the issue was in the works and Belmont was moving forward, Howard sensed that it was time to play hardball.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand