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changeup

noun
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change·​up | \ ˈchānj-ˌəp How to pronounce changeup (audio) \

Definition of changeup

: a slow pitch in baseball thrown with the same motion as a fastball in order to deceive the batter

Examples of changeup in a Sentence

The batter struck out on a changeup.
Recent Examples on the Web Like Miller, where Luke (Smith) made the jump was the changeup. — Cameron Teague Robinson, The Courier-Journal, "Why a veteran starting pitching could carry Louisville baseball to a national championship," 10 Feb. 2020 Price throws five pitches and there’s enough differential between his fastball (92.4 mph) and changeup (84.4 mph) to keep hitters off-balance. — Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, "Any Red Sox fans happy David Price is gone should reconsider," 5 Feb. 2020 Goldschmidt drove a 3-1 changeup from Dallas Keuchel deep to left with two out in the first, and Ozuna followed with a laser into the second deck in left for a 2-0 lead. — Jay Cohen, The Denver Post, "Yadier Molina wins it in 10th, as Cardinals top Braves to force Game 5," 7 Oct. 2019 In full counts during each of his last three starts, Gallen has missed three changeups below the zone and two more to the armside as opposed to just one that landed successfully at a hitter’s knees, according to data collected by Brooks Baseball. — Richard Morin, azcentral, "Diamondbacks rookie Zac Gallen is preventing runs, but his walk rate is alarming," 20 Aug. 2019 Mid- to upper 90s with his fastball and great breaking ball, a good changeup. — Chris Nelsen, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers' gaps on defense, at the plate pop up again in loss to Rays," 6 June 2019 Palumbo spent the winter adding weight — about 25 pounds — and working with a new changeup grip. — Dallas News, "What a restocked starting rotation means for the Rangers’ other up-and-coming arms," 22 Jan. 2020 Brice mainly uses four pitches: curve, four-seamer, sinker, and changeup. — Julian Mcwilliams, BostonGlobe.com, "Red Sox acquire reliever Austin Brice from Miami Marlins," 10 Jan. 2020 Equal use of both his slider and changeup kept Washington off balance. — Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, "Astros blast Nationals in Game 4 to level World Series," 26 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'changeup.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of changeup

circa 1943, in the meaning defined above

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Time Traveler for changeup

Time Traveler

The first known use of changeup was circa 1943

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Statistics for changeup

Last Updated

18 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Changeup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/changeup. Accessed 21 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for changeup

changeup

noun
How to pronounce changeup (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of changeup

baseball : a slow pitch that is thrown with the same motion as a fastball in order to fool the batter

See the full definition for changeup in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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