Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

keep one's eye on the ball

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.21 in modern English

Syllables: keep- one's eye on the ball
IPA

34

Scrabble Score

20

Letters

2

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To maintain one's concentration fixed on one important theme.

Example Sentences

"2006 Feb 18, Michael Holden quoting Sir Alan Sugar in The Guardian, You can call me Sir Al My ethos has always been to be very straight with people, tell it as it is. It doesn't often make people happy but I found that over a period of time it's better to be that way. So being straight, also being very focused on your objectives, keep your eye on the ball and not get deflected away from it."

Etymology

From general sporting advice to look at the ball when playing it, particularly a golf ball on the tee.

Inflected Forms

keeps one's eye on the ball (present, singular) keeping one's eye on the ball (participle, present) kept one's eye on the ball (participle, past) kept one's eye on the ball (past) keep one's eyes on the ball (alternative)

Antonyms

take one's eye off the ball

Questions

What does keep one's eye on the ball mean?: To maintain one's concentration fixed on one important theme.
Where does keep one's eye on the ball come from?: From general sporting advice to look at the ball when playing it, particularly a golf ball on the tee.

How to pronounce keep one's eye on the ball

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