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ball out

B2 informal separable transitive
In simple words

To shout at someone or get very angry with them because they did something wrong.

Meanings

1 B2 idiomatic informal

To scold or reprimand someone very loudly and angrily.

"The coach balled out the entire team after they lost by thirty points."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Primarily American English. Often used in military, sports, or workplace settings. Considered informal and somewhat crude. 'Bawl out' is the standard spelling; 'ball out' is a variant.

Commonly used with

boss coach employee mistake error performance

Forms

Base
ball out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
balls out
he/she/it
Past simple
balled out
yesterday
Past participle
balled out
have + pp
-ing form
balling out
continuous

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Synonyms

bawl out chew out tell off scold reprimand rebuke

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