designated hitter

noun

1

: a baseball player designated at the start of the game to bat in place of the pitcher without causing the pitcher to be removed from the game

2

: representative, substitute

Synonyms

• backup
• cover
• fill-in
• locum tenens
• pinch hitter
• relief
• replacement
• reserve
• stand-in
• sub
• substitute

Examples of designated hitter in a Sentence

you'll have to be my designated hitter in the office while I'm on business trips

Recent Examples on the Web

A couple of those bats should be available at the deadline, and one in particular is Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. —Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025

Sox designated hitter Kyle Teel moved behind the plate in the eighth inning after Brooks Baldwin ran for catcher Edgar Quero. —Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025

Coming off a three-homer game on Monday, Detroit Tigers designated hitter Kerry Carpenter found himself in a position for more damage, batting with two runners on and two outs in the third inning on Tuesday at Rate Field. —Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025

Reds designated hitter Tyler Stephenson also homered. —Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for designated hitter

• babysitter
• bitter
• critter
• fitter
• fritter
• glitter
• jitter
• knitter
• litter
• quitter
• ritter
• splitter