on the ball

Part of Speech:

All (2) Adjective (1) Adverb (1)

Jump To:

alert adj.
paying attention adv.

ADJECTIVE

alert

Synonyms

WEAK

active all ears attentive bright cagey careful clever good hands heads up intelligent lively observant on guard on one's toes on the job on the lookout on the stick perceptive quick ready sharp spirited vigilant watchful wise with it

ADVERB

paying attention

Synonyms

WEAK

alert alive attentive awake on one's toes on the job on top of ready sharp vital wide-awake with it

Example Sentences

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on the ball

"When you're the number nine on your own you can get marked by two centre-backs and you struggle to get touches on the ball," he says.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

When he came on, although starting higher than Bouaddi in the midfield diamond, he dropped deep to get on the ball in holding midfield.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Got on the ball often enough and ran at the visitors' defence.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

Morgan Gibbs-White: Quality on the ball and got the assist for Ndoye before dispatching his second-half penalty in style.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

My eye was dead on the ball as he put it softly against the backboard.

From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers

on the ball

Example Sentences

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