ball and chain
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
High prices have hobbled Americans with a ball and chain.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 15, 2025
As time went on, Veasley said her pain became like a ball and chain that got heavier and heavier.
From Salon • Oct. 9, 2023
Each custom bottle label sported a picture of a cabbage chained to a foot, like a ball and chain, and the words “Brine & Punishment,” a reference to Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment.”
From New York Times • Sep. 22, 2022
New monuments have gone up elsewhere, including Brown University’s Slavery Memorial sculpture - a partially buried ball and chain - and the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers under construction at the University of Virginia.
From Washington Times • Dec. 14, 2019
But things weren’t going to be all right— and this secret was my ball and chain.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
