ball and chain

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

High prices have hobbled Americans with a ball and chain.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 15, 2025

Alito offered no comment on this one, not even giving reporters a perfunctory point of the finger toward the ol’ ball and chain.

From Slate • May 25, 2024

“I didn’t want to get a bad mortgage and be in a ball and chain situation where all I would be able to do is pay the mortgage,” Ms. Harper said.

From New York Times • May 9, 2024

As time went on, Veasley said her pain became like a ball and chain that got heavier and heavier.

From Salon • Oct. 9, 2023

George Atzerodt goes meekly into custody and is soon fitted with wrist shackles, and a ball and chain on his ankle.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly