The idiom "play hardball" means to be tough, aggressive, and uncompromising in a situation, especially in business or politics. It refers to a strategy where someone is willing to use any means necessary to achieve their goals, even if it means being ruthless or unfair.
For example, if a company is negotiating a contract with another company, they might "play hardball" by making very tough demands and threatening to walk away from the deal if their demands are not met. In politics, a politician might "play hardball" by using negative ads, attacking opponents personally, or making extreme statements to gain an advantage.
You can use this idiom when you want to describe someone who is being very aggressive or uncompromising in a situation, or when you want to warn someone that they need to be prepared for a tough negotiation or competition.
• I don't like to play hardball when it comes to negotiating with my friends.
• The company decided to play hardball with the union during the salary negotiations.
• The government's decision to play hardball with the opposition led to widespread protests and unrest in the country.
• The lawyer advised her client to play hardball during the divorce proceedings.
• The CEO decided to play hardball with the competitors in order to maintain the market share.
• The politician knew he had to play hardball if he wanted to win the election.
• The company played hardball with their suppliers and demanded lower prices, even though it could harm their long-term relationships.
• The negotiations were getting tough, so we decided to play hardball and threaten to take our business elsewhere.
• The union leaders decided to play hardball and call for a nationwide strike to pressure the government to meet their demands.
• I don't like to play hardball at work because I want to be friendly with my colleagues.
• The lawyer decided to play hardball and refused to settle the case out of court.
• In politics, it's common to play hardball and attack your opponents with negative ads and personal attacks.