play ball
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.
Yet many African nations were willing to play ball with the US tightening visas worldwide, the two ex-State Department officials said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
This is playoff basketball — grow up and play ball.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2026
Current and former officials said that Russia’s increasing reliance on China means Beijing could play a productive role in bringing Putin to any peace deal—if Trump can convince it to play ball, that is.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2025
"But there is also something else, something more practical which is that we simply cannot solve a challenge like stopping the boats by acting alone and telling our allies that we won't play ball."
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2025
The law is be cool, be tough, play ball, and use books for weight training—not reading.
From "Bronx Masquerade" by Nikki Grimes
