BALLS Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

balls 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of ball

as in spheres

a more or less round body or mass the little rubber ball used in racquetball a ball of string

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in bullets

a usually round or cone-shaped little piece of lead made to be fired from a firearm found a cache of musket balls while excavating the old fort

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blanks

balls

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of ball

as in dances

a social gathering for dancing a ball to celebrate the inauguration

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balls

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of ball

as in rounds

to form into a round compact mass balled up the paper and threw it at the garbage can

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of balls

Noun

Lyons recalled how Meyer and Davis transformed her own cantankerous vision — mushrooms beside saddles, faucets beside disco balls, moldings beside dog doors — into a cohesive design language. — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 Onigiri Gorichan serves delicate Koshihikari rice balls stuffed with salmon flakes, pickled plums or Spam and egg. — Senior Food Editor, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Sherfane Rutherford scored 49 not out off 26 balls to provide the final flourish, hitting four fours and three sixes, as West Indies breached 200. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Potts also helped Marshall fix his running form, running on the balls of his feet instead of his heels. — Pj Green october 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026 So, almost all folks take multiple mulligans (breakfast balls), move their golf ball around, kick it from behind trees , etc. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Recently, Galbot’s humanoid robot completed over 100 rallies in a live autonomous tennis match, tracking balls, adjusting positions, and returning varied shots. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026 The versatile three-sport athlete has caught 44 balls for 774 yards and six touchdowns in seven games this season, just four yards shy of the most in the state, according to MaxPreps data after Week 8. — Mcclain Baxley For The Ajc, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026 The two-way forward provided a spark of energy off the bench by fighting for loose balls on the glass. — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026

Verb

Bassey signs, Ike balls out An hour after the Warriors officially signed reserve center Charles Bassey to a one-year deal, Graham Ike did his best to show that the backup center position should still be considered in flux. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 10 July 2026 The second and third outs were called third strikes, both of them initially balls before All-Star catcher Realmuto challenged through the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), or so called robot umpires, that will be used in the regular season for the first time this year. — CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026 Arrange dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. — Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Mar. 2026 Each team received their shipment of logo balls several weeks ago from the Wilson factory so that equipment managers would be able to properly prepare the footballs for their respective offenses. — Kristi Scales jan. 5, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026 Place balls 3 inches apart on 3 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper (about 12 cookies per sheet). — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2025 Defense overall just balls Two. — Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for balls

Noun

In this procedure, uranium-containing material is formed into tiny spheres by dipping them into a hot silicone-oil bath.

— Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Wagyu beef and lamb koobideh are formed into bite-size, plump spheres doused in a sweet tomato and sumac glaze.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of spheres

Verb

Brewers third baseman David Hamilton rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the ninth inning.

— Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Wildlife advocates are coordinating care, mapping turtles’ origins through genetics and attempting releases, while a federal funding bill rounds its way through committees.

— Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of rounds

Noun

With the fan and light turned off, check for loose globes, shades, bulbs, finials, or other decorative pieces.

— Tricia Goss, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026
Most globes take between a few weeks and a few months to make, and each is a work of art, customized for clients with family histories, past travels, migration routes, and personalized themes.

— Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of globes

Noun

In addition to showing up everywhere, from festivals to parades and weddings to proms, the Wienermobile has also helped people, including Drew Barrymore, celebrate their birthdays over the decades with special stops made in their honor.

— Stacy Lambe, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
Dunkin’ Prom, which funds alternative proms for teens who may have missed theirs for medical reasons and lastly, grants to customize hospital spaces to create joy.

— Zuri Primos June 29, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2026

Definition of proms

Verb

Customers can do the treatment fully clothed as the water rolls under them, powered by a series of hydro-jets.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
While brittle Christina rolls her eyes at being stuck with an analog guy to cover Big Tech, Jeff’s editor Andy (Gbenga Akinnagbe) is a far more chill ally.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026