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

This time, Newsom tried to play hardball.

From Los Angeles Times

“The Chinese are coming ready to play hardball,” said Carla Freeman, a China expert at the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

Yesterday, the Freedom Caucus decided it was time to stand up to the speaker and play hardball so a dozen members voted against the procedural rule vote on the floor to show they were mad as hell and they weren't going to take it anymore.

From Salon

“These newcomers may play hardball, which could extend the length of this strike.”

From Los Angeles Times

It’s remotely conceivable that cable magnates will examine the declining, if not completely evaporated, credibility of Fox as a news channel and decide to play hardball, either by offering smaller carriage fees or taking Fox News off the basic subscription tier entirely.

From Los Angeles Times