play ball

Idioms  

1. Cooperate, as in The opposing attorneys refused to play ball with us . [ Slang ; c. 1900]

2. 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

"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

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

“I don’t have old 65 yr old guys at my disposal to play ball,” Tikriti messaged the cooperating witness at one point.

From Los Angeles Times

“I just have to give all of Ole Miss a ‘thanks,’” Chambliss said, “for letting me come here to play ball.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The administration benefited greatly from the quick decision of most trading partners to play ball—with the exception of China and, albeit briefly, Canada.

From Barron's