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
The results were erratic, as Nolan totaled nine walks, three strikeouts and a 2.70 ERA over just 3.1 innings. Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2025 At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Joshua Mears continues to look the part, but even six home runs in 18 games last year at Double-A San Antonio isn’t enough to offset a 47.3% strikeout rate and a .174/.230/.478 batting line in his second stint in the Texas League. Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
Alonso hit 34 homers, struck out 172 times and had an OPS of .788 last year. Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2025 Johnson allowed just three hits and struck out five. Tom Schardin, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 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 16 Feb. 2025.

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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