strikeout

1 of 2

noun

strike·​out ˈstrīk-ˌau̇t How to pronounce strikeout (audio)
: an out in baseball resulting from a batter's being charged with three strikes

strike out

2 of 2

verb

struck out; struck out also stricken out; striking out; strikes out

intransitive verb

1
: to enter upon a course of action
2
: to set out vigorously
3
: to make an out in baseball by a strikeout
4
: to finish bowling a string with consecutive strikes
specifically : to bowl three strikes in the last frame
5

transitive verb

of a baseball pitcher : to retire (someone) by a strikeout

Examples of strikeout in a Sentence

Verb their joint venture in Las Vegas struck out, and they hurriedly dissolved the partnership struck out all references to indecent matters
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Treinen held opponents to a .120 average (nine for 75) with 37 strikeouts in at-bats ending with the sweeper during the regular season. Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024 The right-handed Burnes, who won a Cy Young with the Brewers, went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA and 181 strikeouts over 32 starts and 194.1 innings in his first season with the Orioles. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
Durbin struck out only 37 times, while accepting 47 walks at Triple-A. The Yankees saw enough in Durbin to put him on their 40-man roster, prior to the trade with the Brewers. Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024 His ability to strike out players with ease adds to his attractiveness to the Blue Jays. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for strikeout 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1887, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1707, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of strikeout was in 1707

Dictionary Entries Near strikeout

strike out

strikeout

strikeover

Cite this Entry

“Strikeout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strikeout. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

strikeout

1 of 2 noun
strike·​out ˈstrī-ˌkau̇t How to pronounce strikeout (audio)
: an out in baseball resulting from a batter's being charged with three strikes

strike out

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)strī-ˈkau̇t
1
: to enter upon a course of action
struck out on my own after graduation
2
: to make an out or cause to make an out in baseball by a strikeout
the shortstop struck out
the pitcher struck him out with a curve

More from Merriam-Webster on strikeout

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!