HARDBALL Definition & Meaning

hardball

[ hahrd-bawl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

baseball, as distinguished from softball.

adjective

tough or ruthless:
He wasn't ready for the hardball politics of Washington.
outspoken, challenging, or difficult:
Reporters asked the president some hardball questions.

hardball

/ ˈ��ɑː��ɔː�� /

noun

baseball as distinct from softball
play hardball informal.
to act in a ruthless or uncompromising way

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of hardball¹

First recorded in 1825–35; hard + ball ¹

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Idioms and Phrases

play hardball, to act or work aggressively, competitively, or ruthlessly, as in business or politics.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

But for the best outcome, he says, India will have to "play hardball. Basically, tell the US - we're open to negotiations on other fronts, but don't destabilise our agriculture".

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The hardball question came after the Atlanta Fed predicted a contraction of the American economy in the first quarter of 2025.

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They also played hardball in Iowa, undermining the state's nonpartisan commission and allowing the GOP to push one additional seat largely into their column.

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Kellogg laid out the hardball aspect of the plan to Reuters, using U.S. aid as a tool to bring both sides to the negotiating table.

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Trump boasts he’s playing hardball to force other Nato countries to meet their spending targets, which is 2% of their GDP - only 23 of the member nations have hit this target in 2024.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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