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.
Judge, two innings later, recorded his fourth strikeout when reliever Caleb Kilian caught him looking at a 97-mph fastball. Cam Inman, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026 Sierra Canyon starting pitcher Lucas Letts struck out the side in the first and second innings with a low-90s fastball and slider mix. Tony Gleason, Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026 His fastball, meanwhile, enjoyed an uptick in velocity and yielded more swing and miss, characteristics that lacked for most of the pitcher’s spring and throughout a 2025 season that was delayed by a lat injury. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026 Burns’ 102-mph fastball and wipeout slider have been better pitches for him than his changeup, but the 23-year-old worked on the changeup this offseason and Stephenson, for one, has been impressed. C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026 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 1 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

fastball

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

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