Expression of the Day
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Learn More American Expressions

nine ball

Featured
Puzzle #232 · January 19, 2026
A variation of pool, or billiards, played on a table, with a cue, where the goal is to pocket the balls numbered 1 through 9.

In the Tom Cruise movie, The Color of Money, they played 9 ball. Here is a classic scene where you can clearly see this Tom Cruise character is very different from all the other one's he has played.
Puzzle Appearances

The expression nine ball has appeared in 1 puzzle:

  • Puzzle #232 on January 19, 2026
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print

Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.

Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

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