fastball

noun

fast·​ball ˈfas(t)-ˌbȯl How to pronounce fastball (audio)
: a baseball pitch thrown at full speed and often appearing to rise slightly as it nears the plate
fastballer noun

Examples of fastball in a Sentence

He struck him out with a fastball.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His fastball sits between 89 and 92 mph, touching 93. Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026 Using a devastating curveball and a fastball that sat at 93-94 mph, Zito won the American League Cy Young Award in 2002. John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026 Fairbanks reaches the high 90s on his fastball and also has a hard slider. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Dec. 2025 In 2023, his average fastball velocity dipped from 93.9 mph to 92.5 mph. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fastball

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fastball was in 1883

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Cite this Entry

“Fastball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fastball. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

fastball

noun
fast·​ball ˈfas(t)-ˌbȯl How to pronounce fastball (audio)
: a baseball pitch thrown at full speed

More from Merriam-Webster on fastball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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