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

Armed with a mid-90s four-seam fastball, changeup, curveball and slider, Peralta had a whiff rate over 34% on everything but the fastball last year. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026

Against fastballs, particularly high velocity fastballs, when speed and strength are necessary, there is a stark difference between the first half and second half. —Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 19 Jan. 2026

Lee, twice a Game 1 World Series starter, did not average 92 mph on his fastball but pitched 200 innings eight times. —Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026

Alexandre Moreti is an 18-year-old righty with a fastball sitting between 88-89 mph, touching the low 90s. —The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 15 Jan. 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