on the ball

phrase

Synonyms of on the ballnext
1
: competent, knowledgeable, alert
… the other introductory essay … is much more on the ball.—The Times Literary Supplement (London)
keep on the ball
2
: of ability or competence
… if the teacher has something on the ball, the pupils won't squirm much …—New Yorker

Examples of on the ball in a Sentence

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Tielemans has gone from being the furthest on the ball midfield player to being a holding midfielder with expectations to be excellent out of possession. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Addison beat Jacob Parrish in one-on-one coverage, making a smooth adjustment on the ball. — CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026 For the next 30 minutes, Sporting KC showed calm decision-making on the ball and a level of fight that frankly hadn’t been seen in a while. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2026 In Shot Mode, the gimbal automatically locates and focuses on the ball, with a solid green LED and confirmation sound indicating when the system is ready to record. — New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for on the ball

Rhymes for on the ball

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Browse Nearby Words

on the back of
on the ball
on the ballot
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Cite this Entry

“On the ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20ball. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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