fastball

noun

fast·​ball ˈfas(t)-ˌbȯl 

: a baseball pitch thrown at full speed and often appearing to rise slightly as it nears the plate

fastballer

ˈfas(t)-ˌbȯ-lər 

noun

Examples of fastball in a Sentence

He struck him out with a fastball.

Recent Examples on the Web

Blanco opened that frame with strikeouts of Hicks and Griffin Conine, but Mack followed Marsee by drilling a 3-2 fastball for his eighth homer of the season. — Miami Herald, 21 July 2026

Kirwin, a journeyman right-hander, earned his opportunity with the Red Sox in 2024 after impressing scouts with a 98 mph fastball in independent baseball. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Former Bishop Feehan star Brody Bumila didn’t go in the first round of the MLB draft earlier this month, but the 6-foot-9 lefty with an 100 mph fastball still got paid like one of the top selections. — Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 21 July 2026

Thompson was a college reliever with a big fastball and sporadic success. — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fastball

• cut fastball
• split-fingered fastball

Rhymes for fastball

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids Definition

fastball

noun

fast·​ball ˈfas(t)-ˌbȯl 

: a baseball pitch thrown at full speed