1. Home
2. Idioms
3. ballpark

ballpark

---

---

hit (something) out of the (ball)park

To do or perform something extraordinarily well; to produce or earn an exceptional achievement. An allusion to hitting a home run in baseball that lands outside the stadium. Great job on that report, Jacobs—you really hit it out of the park! I'm pretty sure I hit that test out of the ballpark.

See also: hit, of, out

ballpark estimate

An approximate estimate. Mary contacted several plumbers to get a ballpark estimate of the cost to fix her leaky toilet.

See also: ballpark, estimate

ballpark figure

An approximate number; an estimate. Do you have a ballpark figure for the cost of the renovations? That's just a ballpark figure—they don't know exactly how many people will be attending the event.

See also: ballpark, figure

be in the same ballpark

To be close to a specific cost or amount. I will only sell the house if the buyer's offer is in the same ballpark as the price I want to get. No, the salary isn't as high as I had hoped, but I accepted it because it's in the same ballpark at least.

See also: ballpark, same

ballpark figure

Fig. an estimate; an off-the-cuff guess. I don't need an exact number. A ballpark figure will do.

See also: ballpark, figure

in the ballpark

Fig. within certain boundaries; [of an estimate] close to what is expected. Your estimate is not even in the ballpark. Please try again.

See also: ballpark

out of the ballpark

Fig. beyond the amount of money suggested or available. Your estimate is completely out of the ballpark. Just forget it.

See also: ballpark, of, out

in the ballpark

within an acceptable or similar range We weren't even in the ballpark – we offered $170 million, but the offer they accepted was for $350 million.

See also: ballpark

in the same ballpark

of a similar nature When it comes to budget cuts, tourism just isn't in the same ballpark as education and public safety.

See also: ballpark, same

a ballpark estimate/figure

a number which is only approximate, but which should be near to the correct number We're expecting sales of the book to generate around $10,000 dollars, although obviously that's just a ballpark figure.

See also: ballpark, estimate

be in the same ballpark

to be of a similar amount or cost Jamie makes over two hundred thousand dollars and I don't know exactly how much Tom makes but I guess it's in the same ballpark.

See also: ballpark, same

ballpark figure

An acceptable, roughly accurate approximation, as in I know you can't tell me the exact cost; just give me a ballpark figure. This term alludes to a baseball field, which is always an enclosed space. The expression is basically an extension of the somewhat earlier in the ballpark, meaning within a reasonable range, and out of the ballpark, beyond a reasonable range. [Slang; late 1960s]

See also: ballpark, figure

in the ballpark

Also, out of the ballpark.See under ballpark figure.

See also: ballpark