bunt

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈbənt 

1

a

: the middle part of a square sail

b

: the part of a furled sail gathered up in a bunch at the center of the yard

2

: the bagging part of a fishing net

bunt

2 of 4

verb

bunted; bunting; bunts

transitive verb

1

: to strike or push with or as if with the head : butt

2

: to push or tap (a baseball) lightly with a bat without swinging

intransitive verb

: to bunt a baseball

bunter noun

bunt

3 of 4

noun (2)

1

: an act or instance of bunting

2

: a bunted ball

bunt

4 of 4

noun (3)

: a destructive smut disease of wheat caused by a fungus (genus Tilletia)

Examples of bunt in a Sentence

Verb

The batter bunted for a single.

He bunted the ball toward third base.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There were bigger hits on the day, but the timeliness of those bunts spoke to the confidence with which the Red Sox were playing. — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 24 July 2026

With the winning run 90 feet away, Nick Loftin laid down a bunt and Rojas scored from third to end the game. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 21 July 2026

Verb

Detroit Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle throws to first base on a Chicago White Sox's Chase Meidroth bunt during the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Detroit. — CBS News, 12 July 2026

Braden Montgomery bunted and Loftin couldn’t handle Daniel Lynch IV’s throw to third that hit him in an uncomfortable area. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps from Low German, bundle, from Middle Low German; akin to Old English byndel bundle

Verb

alteration of butt

Noun (3)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1584, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1767, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

circa 1790, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bunt

• drag bunt
• sac bunt
• sacrifice bunt

Rhymes for bunt

• blunt
• brunt
• front
• grunt
• shunt
• stunt
• affront
• confront
• exeunt
• forefront
• lakefront
• manhunt

Kids Definition

bunt

verb

ˈbənt

1

: to strike or push with the horns or head : butt

2

: to push or tap a baseball lightly without swinging the bat

bunt noun

bunter noun