in the dirt
idiom
baseball, of a pitch
: having hit the ground near home plate before reaching the catcher
He swung and missed at a curveball in the dirt.
Examples of in the dirt in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
According to an indictment unsealed Sunday in federal court in Brooklyn, Clase and Ortiz helped bettors from their native Dominican Republic win in-game prop bets on pitch speed and outcome by throwing certain pitches slower and down in the dirt, well out of the strike zone.
—
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
To ensure certain pitches were called as balls, Clase threw many of them in the dirt, well outside the strike zone, according to investigators.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025
Clase would often throw those pitches well outside of the strike zone in the dirt, the indictment alleges.
—Ian Thomas, CNBC, 9 Nov. 2025
Wastewater with signs of mop strings, food debris, and grease had accumulated in the dirt area in the back of the restaurant.
—Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the dirt
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.
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
To ensure certain pitches were called as balls, Clase threw many of them in the dirt, well outside the strike zone, according to investigators.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025
Clase would often throw those pitches well outside of the strike zone in the dirt, the indictment alleges.
—Ian Thomas, CNBC, 9 Nov. 2025
Wastewater with signs of mop strings, food debris, and grease had accumulated in the dirt area in the back of the restaurant.
—Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the dirt
Cite this Entry
“In the dirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20dirt. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share