foul ball

noun

: a baseball batted into foul territory

Examples of foul ball in a Sentence

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.
In 2023, a foul ball zipped over the netting behind the plate and struck Sterling in the broadcast booth, caroming off his table and leaving a cut over his eyebrow. Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 4 May 2026 Aaron Boone, meanwhile, giggled over the way Sterling reacted to getting hit by a foul ball in the booth in 2023. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026 They were locked in, hoping for a foul ball. Peter Folan, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026 Cora capped an 18-pitch at-bat that included 14 foul balls with a home run against Chicago Cubs right-hander Matt Clement. Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for foul ball

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foul ball was in 1855

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foul ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foul%20ball. Accessed 10 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

foul ball

noun
: a baseball batted into foul territory

More from Merriam-Webster on foul ball

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster