kiːp jɔːr aɪ ɒn ðə bɔːl
Sports
neutral
beginner
- Literally:
- watch the ball closely in any ball sport
What does "keep your eye on the ball" mean?
to stay focused on what is most important
Examples
- I know there are many distractions, but keep your eye on the ball — our launch date is in two weeks.
- She kept her eye on the ball throughout the negotiations and secured a great deal.
- With all the office gossip, it's hard to keep your eye on the ball.
Origin
General sports advice given in baseball, cricket, tennis, and other ball sports.
How to use it
Used as advice to maintain focus. Very common in business and education.
Similar expressions
stay focused
pay attention
concentrate
Opposites
lose focus
get distracted
Related idioms
- no pain no gain
Success requires hard work and sacrifice
- ball is in your court
It's your turn to take action or make a decision
- like riding a bicycle
A skill that, once learned, is never forgotten
- drop the ball
To fail to do something important; to make a mistake
- level playing field
A situation where everyone has an equal opportunity
- on the ball
Alert and competent
Use it in a practice answer
Try "keep your eye on the ball" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.