English Reference
Idiom idiom

whole ball of wax


The entire or overall plan, concept or action.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

I want the whole ball of wax, not just parts of it.

CONTEXTUAL

The company offered to buy the building, the equipment, and the staff—the whole ball of wax.

COMPLEX

After reviewing the proposal, the committee decided to reject the whole ball of wax rather than negotiate the individual terms.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    ball hog

    In team sports, a player who keeps the ball to themselves, rather than passing it.

  2. 02

    ball of fire

    A person who is especially active, ambitious, hard-working, or high-achieving.

  3. 03

    ball of malt

    A glass of whiskey.

  4. 04

    balls of steel

    Courage, audacity.

  5. 05

    balls to the wall

    With maximum effort or commitment.

  6. 06

    bust one's balls

    To work very hard; to put in a lot of effort.

  7. 07

    carry the ball

    To lead in terms of responsibility, initiative, or progress.

  8. 08

    cobblers

    [Cockney slang]balls or 'bollocks'

Last updated August 10, 2026