Idiom
the ball is in someone's court
Meaning
It is someone's turn to do something; often making a decision.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I sent the offer, so now the ball is in your court.”
“We have finished our part of the project, so the ball is in their court to review the final report.”
“Having presented a comprehensive proposal to the board of directors, the manager sat back, knowing the ball was now in their court to approve the funding.”
Examples
simple
“I sent the offer, so now the ball is in your court.”
contextual
“We have finished our part of the project, so the ball is in their court to review the final report.”
complex
“Having presented a comprehensive proposal to the board of directors, the manager sat back, knowing the ball was now in their court to approve the funding.”
Origin
From tennis and other court games: once the ball is on your side, it is your turn to act; figurative use from the mid-20th century.
Key words
Related idioms
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated