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.
Imai’s fastball sits around 95 mph, with a top velocity of 99 mph this season. Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025 In Game 7, ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto bagged the final eight outs just one night after throwing 96 pitches across six innings, and the 5-foot-10 righty did it with improved velocity on both his sinker and four-seam fastball. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2025 Also, the slider was quite complementary with his mid-90s fastball keeping hitters honest at the dish. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025 But not so long ago — as recently as 2023, in fact — the Red Sox were pinning their mound hopes primarily on one right-hander, albeit one whose fastball topped out at 101 mph. Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 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 13 Nov. 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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