A game

American

Or A-game,

noun

Informal.

a person’s best effort, abilities, or achievement.

The candidate brought her A game to the debate.

'A' game British

noun

informal one's best possible performance, esp in the phrase to bring or take one's 'A' game

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of A game

In reference to a sports contest, with the letter A indicating peak performance

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.

Rangers are second, two points above Celtic, who have a game in hand.

From BBC

“They should also have a game plan for what they would do if the relationship were to end,” Nix adds.

From The Wall Street Journal

In a game designed to erode your sense of reality, the salmon becomes something solid.

From Salon

About finding one small, reliable pleasure in a game designed to strip everything else away.

From Salon

Against the world number seven in Mexico, Boulter won the first set in 28 minutes without dropping a game.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023