fastball

noun

fast·​ball ˈfas(t)-ˌbȯl How to pronounce fastball (audio)
: a baseball pitch thrown at full speed and often appearing to rise slightly as it nears the plate
fastballer noun

Examples of fastball in a Sentence

He struck him out with a fastball.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
His once-overpowering fastball was getting crushed by opponents. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024 Working with the Dodgers’ analysts and coaches, Kopech has been throwing a cut fastball rather than a slider to complement his triple-digit fastball. Phil Rogers, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 But in the eighth, with the Yankees down 3–1 and a runner on second, Judge swung at a ninety-nine-mile-an-hour fastball on the edge of the plate, and lasered a line drive just high enough for a home run, evening the score. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2024 Vodnik, Halvorsen and Hill have all hit 100 mph with their fastball, and all of Colorado’s young relievers regularly throw 95 mph. Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fastball 

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fastball was in 1883

Dictionary Entries Near fastball

Cite this Entry

“Fastball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fastball. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fastball

noun
fast·​ball ˈfas(t)-ˌbȯl How to pronounce fastball (audio)
: a baseball pitch thrown at full speed

More from Merriam-Webster on fastball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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