The idiom "play ball" is often used to mean "let's get started" or "let's begin." It comes from the game of baseball, where the pitcher throws the ball to the batter to start the game.
In everyday conversation, you might use this idiom to encourage someone to start a project or activity. For example, if you're working on a group project and everyone is chatting instead of getting started, you might say "Come on, guys, let's play ball and get this project underway!"
Similarly, if you're in a meeting and everyone is still settling in and getting their materials ready, you might say "Okay, let's play ball and get this meeting started."
Overall, "play ball" is a fun and informal way to encourage people to get started on something. It's a great way to inject a little energy and enthusiasm into a group, and it's a phrase that most native English speakers will be familiar with.
• "I like to play ball with my friends at the park." (casual conversation)
• "We need to work together and play ball if we want to win this project." (workplace context)
• "The coach told us to play ball harder during the second half of the game." (sports context)
• "After negotiating for hours, the two companies agreed to play ball and merge their businesses." (business context)
• "The political parties must play ball and compromise for the sake of the country's progress." (political context)
• "As a seasoned diplomat, she knew how to play ball with the foreign leaders and negotiate a successful treaty." (professional context)
• The CEO knew that in order to succeed, he had to be willing to play ball with the other companies in the industry.
• When I was a child, my friends and I used to play ball every day after school.
• The negotiations had been tense, but when both sides agreed to compromise, it was finally time to play ball.
• I'm so excited to finally play ball with my favorite team this weekend.
• The coach reminded the players to focus on their positions and work together as a team before they started to play ball.
• My little brother loves to play ball with his friends at the park.