carry the ball

phrase

: to perform or assume the chief role : bear the major portion of work or responsibility
No one else is available to make the arrangements, so it's up to you to carry the ball.

Examples of carry the ball in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
King was 21-of-34 passing for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns and carried the ball three times for another 39 yards and a touchdown that finished a 13-play, 65-yard drive over the final one minute, 55 seconds of regulation. — Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026 After catching a pass for 18 yards, Dillon carried the ball twice before hitting pay dirt for a second-quarter touchdown. — Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 7 Aug. 2026 Diomande is fast and direct, with the speed and balance to carry the ball over large spaces. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 30 July 2026 Joe McCarthy carried the ball strongly and Josh van der Flier went close before McCarthy managed to drive over the line. — ABC News, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for carry the ball

Rhymes for carry the ball

See All Rhymes for carry the ball

Browse Nearby Words

carrytale
carry the ball
carry the can
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Carry the ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carry%20the%20ball. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All