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  3. 2. Sports idioms

2. Sports idioms

muslim woman playing basketball

A lot of English idioms have their origins in sport, but they can be used in many other situations. Read some examples of sports idioms in these sentences.

Studying a little every day is more effective in the long run.
The team was losing badly, but they refused to throw in the towel.
Holidays abroad are exciting, but working abroad is a whole different ball game.
I know you're nervous about the interview, but give it your best shot.
Let's get the ball rolling by introducing ourselves.
We offered them a deal yesterday, and now the ball is in their court.

What do the idioms mean? Try the quiz!

Average: 3.6 (7 votes)
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Submitted by ZeinabYasser30 on Mon, 06/07/2026 - 14:04

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It's amazing to listen to you,active people. I hope you can continue this forever. I don't think I have any favorite sports,but I love being outside walking around fast with my family or friends especially in winter. I sometimes go to the gym ,but I want to make it habit to go there everyday.

Submitted by ikram2026 on Sat, 04/07/2026 - 00:54

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hey guys! Im Ikram From Algeria .

My Favourite sport is Boxing. I love it because it is fun and it helps me feel strong. Boxing is also a great way to reduce stress and stay healthy. In my opinion, it is the best sport for self-defence.

My favourite boxers are Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. They are strong, brave and inspiring.

In my area, football is the most popular sport. Many people play it and watch it every week. Combat sports are also quite popular, and many young people enjoy boxing and other martial arts.

Hi Francyou!

Thank you for your audios! I loved listening to them. I was going to the gym twice a week but unfortunately tripped over a few months ago and hurt one of my knees so haven't been able to go again. I think I'm also finding it hard to start up as I haven't got a routine anymore. Do you find having a personal trainer helps you to keep it up? It's something I'm contemplating doing. Do you think it's worth it?

~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team

Submitted by Ssannmm on Fri, 19/06/2026 - 10:06

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Hi everyone! I don’t usually watch sports, I prefer to do them. In my case, I love swimming and hiking, but I’m not a sports fan in terms of watching and following them on TV. In my country, Spain, the most popular sport is soccer, so here it's almost a religion heheh. These days, the World Cup is taking place, so there is a lot of enthusiasm for the Spanish team.

Hi SmileZ,
Thanks for your recording, it was lovely to listen to you! I've never been one for running and tend to do a 'fast' walk on the treadmill but I do see a lot of people running. How long would you do your 'running' when you were in the gym and did you do a certain pace ... and also did you also do any sort of incline - as if you were going up hills? I found this quite hard to do!

~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team