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to ball

to ball

11 6.0
To form something into a round shape by rolling or winding
  • verb
  • /bɔl/
: formar en bola
  • Bending forward, I try to scrub off my mascara with my balled-up paper towel.

From what I've found, it's just sticky and it balls up into little tiny balls.

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Examples

  • Now it's all just kind of balling up and I've got a line here.

  • Sprinkle the shirts and ball them up, and you can go, my mother said.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • You know, notes and then, like, ball it off and throw it away like they do in the movies.

  • I feel maybe I'll use a little more and it says to ball it into a ball.

  • You gotta ball your fist up, okay?

  • Ball up your fist and put it-- put it up like that.

  • From what I've found, it's just sticky and it balls up into little tiny balls.

  • The mattress was bare except for Doug's sleeping bag, which was balled up and pushed down into a corner.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • "Are you Mr. McGuirk?" I'll ask, clenching my teeth, balling my fist at my side.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • After making the dough, she decided to ball it up into a tight shape for baking.

Synonyms

to roll
vsto ball
176 1.3

To shape something into a long round form by turning it

forms round masses by winding or coiling rather than many other shapes
to orbed
vsto ball
  • Archaic
1 9.6

To make something round like a ball

forms round masses by winding or coiling rather than pure molding
to clew
vsto ball
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To roll rope or yarn into a neat ball

forms objects by winding into a compact round mass
to sphere
vsto ball
1 7.6

To make something round like a ball

forms round masses by winding or coiling instead of enclosing them

Idioms

to drop the ball
  • Informal
38 6.1

Fail to do something you are responsible for

to have a ball
  • Informal
35 6.5

Enjoy yourself a lot

on the ball
  • Informal
18 5.6

Quick to notice and understand things

It is now someone's turn to act or decide

4 6.3

To notice things quickly and act to fix them

4 7.1

All the parts and activities of a project or situation

4 9.6

In a difficult situation with little chance to make things better

ball of fire
  • Informal
3 5.4

A person who is very energetic and enthusiastic

Stop paying attention to what is important

1 7.7

To be alert and ready to act

1 9.3

A person who is not smart and is slow to understand things

To let someone else decide what to do next

1 7.2

Having no hair on the head

Pay attention to the main goal and avoid distractions

to catch no ball
  • Informal
9.9

To not understand anything in a talk or explanation

To focus on the issue, not on the person

Leave a game or group angrily because you did not get your way

Delay acting until an important event happens

Phrasal Verbs

to play ball
  • Informal
47 4.6

To work with others and do what they want

To strike a ball with a bat or racket in a sport

To start a meeting or project by taking the first step

3 4.6

Lead a project or task and make sure it is finished

to ball up
  • Informal
2 7.9

To do something badly and ruin how it turns out

To hit a ball with your head, usually in football or soccer

1 3.4

To throw the ball quickly and casually

1 6.1

To hit a ball hard so it goes far

1 9.1

To hit a ball badly so it goes far off target

To move the ball along the ground using short touches with your feet

to ball over
  • Informal
8.5

To make someone feel very surprised

Compounds

80 1.0

A game played with a ball, like baseball or football

45 1.0

A small hard round thing with dimples that players hit in the game of golf

35 1.8

A large heavy ball with three finger holes used to knock down pins

28 1.0

A small yellow or white ball covered with felt used to play tennis

19 4.4

A black ball with the number 8 that must be pocketed last in some pool games

18 1.0

A round inflated object that players kick with their feet to play soccer

16 1.0

A large light ball filled with air for play on the beach or in a pool

A small, light, hollow plastic ball used in table tennis

fly ball
  • Specialized
15 3.1

A ball hit high into the air in baseball

15 6.9

A glass sphere fortune-tellers look into to see the future

13 2.8

A ball in baseball hit outside the marked lines that is not in play

ground ball
  • Jargon
12 3.4

In baseball, a ball hit so it rolls or bounces on the ground

12 3.4

A white ball a player hits with a cue to move other balls

curve ball
  • Specialized
11 5.0

A baseball throw with spin that curves as it reaches the batter

10 3.5

A long formal dress worn by women to very special events like balls

9 1.9

A place where people play baseball

9 5.9

A soft dumpling made from matzo meal, eggs, and fat, served in soup at Passover

7 2.5

A professional baseball team that plays and travels together

A hard round ball used to play billiards on a table

breaking ball
  • Jargon
6 6.2

A pitch that curves as it moves toward the batter because the pitcher throws it with spin

5 3.2

A hollow plastic ball with holes used for a simple bat and ball game

5 2.8

A boy who picks up and gives balls to players during a tennis match

5 4.8

A formal party where guests wear masks and costumes to hide who they are

ball-peen hammer
  • Specialized
4 6.3

A hammer with one flat face and one rounded end used to shape metal and drive rivets

ball hog
  • Offensive
4 7.7

A player who keeps the ball and rarely passes to teammates

4 8.9

A job or task that is hard and makes you very tired

4 5.2

A game at an arcade where you roll balls up a ramp into holes for points

4 1.4

A small round piece of chewing gum with a hard colored sugar coating often sold in vending machines

A heavy leather ball you throw or lift to build strength and coordination

jump ball
  • Specialized
3 4.1

A basketball way where the referee tosses the ball between two players who jump to tap it to a teammate

ball bearing
  • Specialized
3 3.4

A device with small metal balls that helps machine parts move with less rubbing

3 1.0

A round mass of yarn made for knitting or crocheting

3 2.7

A round sweet made from popcorn held together with sticky sugar

musket ball
  • Archaic
2 8.6

A small round piece of lead that a musket fires

2 2.8

A player in football or rugby who holds the ball and tries to move forward to score

2 2.7

A small round object that players hit in pool, usually numbered and colored

cannon ball
  • Archaic
2 4.1

A heavy round metal ball fired from a cannon in the past

2 1.9

A small round piece of melon made with a scoop

2 5.3

A heavy ball in the Italian game of bocce that players roll to get close to the small target ball

passed ball
  • Jargon
2 7.0

A pitch the catcher misses that lets a runner advance to the next base

fair ball
  • Specialized
2 3.9

A ball hit by the batter that lands between the foul lines and is in play

masked ball
  • Formal
2 4.3

A formal party where people wear masks and fancy costumes

ball and chain
  • Archaic
2 6.9

A heavy iron ball attached to a prisoner's leg by a chain

2 5.0

A wooden ball used to play croquet

1 9.9

A woman who is very strict and makes others feel afraid or unhappy

1 1.2

An oval ball filled with air that people use to play rugby

ball-and-socket joint
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A joint where a round bone end fits into a cup, allowing movement in many directions

hero ball
  • Jargon
1 7.7

A player who tries to win alone in important moments instead of trusting teammates

no ball
  • UK
1 7.0

A ball bowled against the rules that gives the batting team a free hit on the next ball

1 2.7

A small rubber ball used in a fast game played in a court with four walls

dirt ball
  • Offensive
1 8.7

A person who is very unpleasant and treats others badly

1 2.5

A hard round ball players use in cricket, made of cork and leather

1 7.0

A formal party where people wear costumes and masks and dance

1 2.3

Shaped like a ball or nearly round

A bag filled with air that hangs for boxing practice

ball valve
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A device that controls the flow of water or gas using a round ball inside

time-ball
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A ball that drops from a pole at a set time to show the exact time

1 7.7

A wooden ball for the game bocce that players roll toward a small target ball

ball hawk
  • Slang
1 7.0

A player who often steals or catches the ball from the other team to help their team

ball cock
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A valve with a floating ball that controls the water level in a toilet tank

A small hard ball that spins around a roulette wheel to pick the winning number

object ball
  • Specialized
1 7.8

The ball the cue ball is meant to hit first

1 6.5

A hard ball people use in the Italian game bocce to roll toward a small target

1 3.4

A small metal ball with holes that holds loose tea leaves while brewing

1 1.4

A large rubber ball used for playground games like four square or kickball

A small rubber ball used to play lacrosse

ball hawking
  • Jargon
1 7.3

Skill in catching the ball from opponents during a game, especially in football or basketball

ball-hawking
  • Jargon
1 8.4

Good at taking the ball from opponents in games like football or baseball

rifle ball
  • Archaic
1 7.9

A piece of metal fired from a rifle, originally round but later long

1 2.6

A small round piece of fish cooked and eaten as a snack or in soup

A small hard round object that players hit in field hockey

1 8.1

A small white ball that keeps moths away from stored clothes

ball cartridge
  • Specialized
1 7.9

A small metal case that contains a bullet and enough powder to fire it

How Compact

to compress
43 3.7
to ball
11 6.0
to pack
117 2.3
to bunch
28 1.2
to gather
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

ball infinitive
balled past
balled past participle
balling present participle
balls third person singular

Etymology

Ball As a verb, to ball something up comes from the noun ball meaning 'round object', so it means to wind or roll things into a round mass.