play hardball

English

Etymology

From 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.

Verb

play hardball

  1. (idiomatic) 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.
  2. (idiomatic) To act rough and ruthless, especially in politics or business.
    So you wanna play hardball?
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.