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

The right-hander allowed one run on seven hits with no walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts in six innings. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Buxton was replaced in center by Kyler Fedko in the bottom of the first inning. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 6 July 2026

In the bottom of the sixth with runners on second and third, Devers fielded a grounder, sprinted to the bag, then dove into first base to beat the runner and end the inning. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 5 July 2026

Adrian Del Castillo hit a three-run home run in the first inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks held on to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Saturday night. — ABC News, 5 July 2026

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