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
But there are some concerns with Fitzgerald under the hood, namely in his strikeout rate (31.7%) and below-average exit velocity (22nd percentile). Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024 Even with a slow start and a stint on the injured list in 2024, Snell posted a 3.12 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 145 strikeouts in 104 innings for San Francisco. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
Sasaki has struck out an average of 11.4 hitters per nine innings, while walking two per nine. Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 Sale led the majors in ERA and struck out an NL-best 225 batters in 177.2 innings pitched. Wayne Sterling, CNN, 20 Nov. 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 30 Nov. 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
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