play hardball
To use every means possible to achieve a goal, especially in disregarding the harm causedTo use every means possible to achieve a goal, especially in disregarding the harm caused.
» He likes to play hardball with people.
Tatoeba contributors · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
2 senses(idiomatic, informal)To use every means possible to achieve a goal, especially in disregarding the harm caused.
He was more than willing to extend the terms of the loan, but his boss decided to play hardball and demanded a balloon payment.
(idiomatic, informal)To act rough and ruthless, especially in business or politics.
So you wanna play hardball?
Examples
2 sentencesHe likes to play hardball with people.
If they refuse our offer, we'll have to play hardball.
ruЕсли они отклонят наше предложение, придётся действовать жёстко. — Ooneykcall
Translations
2 languagesOrigin
From the American sport of baseball; the hardball is the heavier and harder type of the twFrom the American sport of baseball; the hardball is the heavier and harder type of the two types of throwing ball used when playing that sport (i.e. softball).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plays hardball, playing hardball, played hardball, played hardball| Base form | play hardball · to play hardball |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | plays hardball |
| Present participle | playing hardball |
| Past simple | played hardball |
| Past participle | played hardball |
irregular
Lessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.