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.
Both his average fastball velocity (99.3) and the extension that the 6-3 right-hander gets in his delivery rank in the 98th percentile, per Statcast. Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025 That's when 27-year-old shortstop Jordan Peña took a fastball off the ribs from Chicago Cubs rookie right-hander Cade Horton. Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025 On Sunday, the velocity on his four-seam fastball was down 1 mph. Will Sammon, New York Times, 29 June 2025 Ohtani, who finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting in 2022, got strike one on a 99.2 mph fastball. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 29 June 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fastball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fastball. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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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