pinch hitter

noun

: one that pinch-hits

Examples of pinch hitter in a Sentence

the business owners brought in a pinch hitter until a permanent manager could be hired
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.
The Phillies, as a team, have only eight hits and three doubles from their pinch hitters in 2024. Matt Gelb, The Athletic, 26 July 2024 Giancarlo Stanton fouled out to the catcher with two on in the seventh, dropping to 4 for 44 as a pinch hitter. San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2024 Weaver struck out pinch hitter Will Brennan and got Guardians superstar third baseman José Ramírez to ground out, ending the threat. Homero De La Fuente, CNN, 15 Oct. 2024 Zoom in: After Houston took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh, pinch hitter Andy Ibañez hit a double with the bases loaded to give Detroit the lead for good in the eighth. Joe Guillen, Axios, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pinch hitter 

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pinch hitter was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near pinch hitter

Cite this Entry

“Pinch hitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinch%20hitter. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

pinch hitter

noun
1
: a baseball player sent in to bat for another especially when a hit is needed
2
: a person called upon to do another's work in an emergency
pinch-hit
(ˈ)pinch-ˈhit
verb

More from Merriam-Webster on pinch hitter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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