in the ballpark
8
6.0
- idiom
- Informal
- The estimate of 200 guests for the party is in the ballpark of what I expected.
- somewhere in the ballpark
- probably in the ballpark
- put you in the ballpark
Loading YouTube…
Watch on YouTubeSo what Price did was he said, these people are not landing in the ballpark very often.
- So what Price did was he said, these people are not landing in the ballpark very often.
- And that's just quite the view, Craig, where you just say, you know, just let up if you, if you want to get in the ballpark, just let a market handle it and step back.
Examples
-
Most of them are in the ballpark of median income and do better than their less educated competitors on average.
Blog text (8) -
That's high for a smaller car but in the ballpark of your other car, the SUV.
Blog text (29) -
I have to call you back on that, but the money sounds like we're in the ballpark.
-
Yes, it usually costs more money, but if it's in the ballpark, it's worth it.
Blog text (34) -
Well, Anna taught me just enough to get me in the ballpark.
-
Glad to know that I'm in the ballpark with that target.
Blog text (32) -
The growth in charitable spending is not even in the ballpark of what has been reduced in tax intake.
Blog text (23) -
Medium format rangefinder prices are in the ballpark of almost a thousand and higher.
Academic text (1997) -
The Tigers are paying Torii somewhere in the ballpark of 26 million for 2 years; you want that?
Blog text (23) -
Don't take those error numbers too seriously, but they are probably in the ballpark of what these folks were claiming.
Blog text (27)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
About an amount or number, not exact
471
3.2
Near the exact number or amount
393
1.6
About a number or amount that is not exact
251
2.1
About a number or idea, not exact but close enough
1
4.1
Almost correct but missing some details
How Accurate
993
3.2
644
3.0
- Informal
8
6.0
32
3.9
18
6.5
193
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase maps the spatial sense of 'in' + 'ballpark' (a bounded area) onto a figurative idea of being within an acceptable range, so a learner could plausibly infer 'approximately correct' from the container metaphor. However, the transfer from literal 'ballpark' (stadium) to the conventionalized estimate sense is somewhat culture-specific and metaphorical, so the exact meaning is not fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
In the ballpark comes from baseball: a ball that lands inside the ballpark is part of the game, not lost outside. So when a number or guess is in the ballpark, it is 'about right' or close enough to be useful.