have the ball in one's court

A form of the ball is in someone's court — It is someone's turn to do something; often making a decision.

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Meanings

verbhave the ball in one's court (third-person singular simple present has the ball in one's court, present participle having the ball in one's court, simple past and past participle had the ball in one's court)

present singular third person has the ball in one's court · participle present having the ball in one's court · participle past had the ball in one's court · past had the ball in one's court

  1. alternativeidiomaticAlternative form of the ball is in someone's court.
Cite this entry
APA

have the ball in one's court. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20the%20ball%20in%20one's%20court

MLA

“have the ball in one's court.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20the%20ball%20in%20one's%20court. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “have the ball in one's court,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20the%20ball%20in%20one's%20court.

Source: have the ball in one's court on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.