Pronunciation: /bɔːl ʌp/
noun a spherical object used in various sports and games
A1 I saw a ball up in the tree.
A2 The children were playing with a ball up.
B1 She kicked the ball up the hill.
B2 The dog fetched the ball up and brought it back.
C1 The professional soccer player skillfully controlled the ball up the field.
C2 The precision of his shot sent the ball up into the top corner of the goal.
verb to form into a round shape or to make a mess of something
A1 I accidentally balled up my homework and had to start over.
A2 She balled up the paper and threw it in the trash.
B1 I tend to ball up my socks before putting them in the drawer.
B2 The artist balled up the clay before shaping it into a sculpture.
C1 He balled up the fabric before cutting out the pattern for the dress.
C2 The chef balled up the dough to make perfect bread rolls.
formal Please do not ball up your papers, as they need to be neatly organized for the presentation.
informal Hey, don't ball up that paper! We might need it later.
slang I accidentally balled up my homework and now I can't find it anywhere.
figurative His anxiety was starting to ball up inside him, making it hard to focus on anything else.
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