the ball is in your court

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

It is now your responsibility to make the next decision or move.

Why this phrase?

From tennis, where the player must respond when the ball lands on their side.

Example

“I've made my offer, so now the ball is in your court.”

Dictionary details

Alternate forms

the ball is in someone's court

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

carrot and stick Neutral · CEFR B2

a strategy that uses both incentives and penalties to steer behavior

force someone's hand Neutral · CEFR B2

To pressure someone into acting, often sooner than they had planned.

free rein Neutral · CEFR B2

complete freedom to make choices or act without interference

hold the purse strings Neutral · CEFR B2

to control a budget and decide how money may be spent

play for time Neutral · CEFR B2

to delay deliberately in order to prepare or avoid an immediate outcome

rule the roost Neutral · CEFR B2

To hold the most power in a household, organization, or other group and make the main decisions.

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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