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

Sasaki spent his first months in a Dodgers uniform prioritizing his fastball velocity, which had dropped from 2023 to 2024 and became the focal point of his conversations with interested clubs this winter. —Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2025

Gurriel then watched a slider for a strike and fouled off a 101.7 mph fastball. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025

Although his fastball velocity ticked up marginally in his last start before the trade, the pitch sat at a season-low 90.8 mph Monday. —Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025

With Stanton deploying a 17-degree launch angle and an 81-mph swing, Gray’s 96-mph fastball never got more than 56 feet off the ground. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025

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