too many balls in the air
Too many tasks, responsibilities, or details to cope with or manage successfully.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I cannot help you today because I have too many balls in the air.”
“He drops important deadlines because he has too many balls in the air.”
“Do you have too many balls in the air to join our dinner party?”
“She is struggling to finish her project because she currently has too many balls in the air at work.”
“Between planning the wedding and starting a new job, you have too many balls in the air to take on a volunteer position right now.”
“The small business failed because the owner had too many balls in the air and forgot to pay the monthly rent.”
“The executive realized that by pursuing three major acquisitions simultaneously, he had too many balls in the air to maintain the quality of his core operations.”
The expression alludes to a juggler attempting to manage an excessive number of objects simultaneously. It entered the lexicon as a metaphor for the precarious nature of divided attention, where the addition of a single further commitment results in the collapse of the entire arrangement.
- 01
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 02
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 03
air out
To expose to air; to leave open or spread out, as to allow odor or moisture to dissipate.
- 04
air rage
Aggressive, disruptive behaviour on an aircraft.
- 05
air sandwich
A strategy that has high-level direction and low-level operations, but little in the middle.
- 06
ball hog
In team sports, a player who keeps the ball to themselves, rather than passing it.
- 07
ball of fire
A person who is especially active, ambitious, hard-working, or high-achieving.
- 08
ball of malt
A glass of whiskey.
Last updated August 10, 2026