What does ‘the ball is in your court’ mean?
To “the ball is in your court” means to it is now your turn to act. A 20th-century idiom from tennis; not in Brewer's 1898.
Origin
- A 20th-century idiom from tennis; not in Brewer's 1898.
How to use it
- Common in negotiations.
- Example: I've made my offer — the ball is in your court.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.