inning

noun

in·​ning ˈi-niŋ 

1

a

: a division of a baseball game consisting of a turn at bat for each team

also : a baseball team's turn at bat ending with the third out

b

innings ˈi-niŋz  plural in form but singular or plural in construction : a division of a cricket match

c

: a player's turn (as in horseshoes, pool, or croquet)

2

: a chance or opportunity for action or accomplishment

—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

that momentous innings which was to project him into world politics

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

Examples of inning in a Sentence

She hit a double in the fourth inning.

Recent Examples on the Web

Over a very small sample of 178 innings, Devers has been worth one defensive run saved. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 14 Sep. 2025

Left fielder Carlos Cortes hit his third home run in two nights with a two-run shot in the second inning, in the 12th pitch of his at-bat. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2025

Kershaw was gone after the third inning. —Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025

Tong gave up six runs while recording just two outs — the shortest start by a Mets pitcher since David Peterson allowed five runs in one-third of an inning on June 2, 2021. —Jerry Beach, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

in entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1735, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing inning

• the seventh-inning stretch

Rhymes for inning

• binning
• dinning
• ginning
• grinning
• pinning
• sinning
• skinning
• spinning
• thinning
• tinning
• twinning
• winning

Kids Definition

inning

noun

in·​ning ˈin-iŋ 

: a division of a baseball game consisting of a turn at bat for each team

also : a baseball team's turn at bat