first base

noun

1
: the base that must be touched first by a base runner in baseball
2
: the player position for defending the area around first base
3
: the first step or stage in a course of action
plans never got to first base
first baseman noun

Examples of first base in a Sentence

a runner on first base She hit a ground ball to first base. He used to be a catcher, but now he plays first base.
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.
Jeff McNeil got them both home on a triple hit just high enough to evade a leaping Freddie Freeman at first base. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025 After Machado led off the ninth with a home run, Alex Verdugo led off the bottom of the inning with a single before being replaced at first base by White. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2025 Kristian Campbell began taking grounders at first base. Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025 With both Triston Casas and Romy Gonzalez out injured, the Red Sox have struggled to get by with little to no depth at first base. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for first base

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of first base was in 1848

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“First base.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20base. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

first base

noun
: the base that must be touched first by a base runner in baseball
also : the position of the player defending the area around first base

More from Merriam-Webster on first base

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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