Sports Metaphors Vocabulary

a complete success; hitting it out of the park

“The product launch was a home run.”

Origin: From baseball, a hit allowing the batter to circle all bases

a sure thing; a guaranteed success

“The proposal was a slam dunk.”

Origin: From basketball, a forceful shot directly into the basket

an unexpected obstacle or surprise

“The interview threw me a curveball.”

Origin: From baseball, a pitch that curves unexpectedly

to defer or delay a decision

“They punted on the hard question.”

Origin: From American football, kicking the ball away

an important or influential person

“They brought in the heavy hitters for negotiations.”

Origin: From baseball, a powerful batter

to make a mistake; to fail to do something

“Marketing really dropped the ball on this campaign.”

Origin: From various sports where dropping the ball causes a turnover

normal or expected

“Delays are par for the course in construction.”

Origin: From golf, the expected number of strokes for a hole

fair and equal conditions for all

“Regulations create a level playing field.”

Origin: From sports requiring flat, even surfaces

a rough estimate

“Give me a ballpark figure for the budget.”

Origin: From baseball, within the confines of the stadium

decided at the last moment

“The election went down to the wire.”

Origin: From horse racing, the finish line wire