inning

1 of 2

noun

in·​ning ˈi-niŋ 

1

a

: a division of a baseball game consisting of a turn at bat for each team

also : a baseball team's turn at bat ending with the third out

b

innings ˈi-niŋz  plural in form but singular or plural in construction : a division of a cricket match

c

: a player's turn (as in horseshoes, pool, or croquet)

2

: a chance or opportunity for action or accomplishment

—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

… that momentous innings … which was to project him into world politics …

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

inning

2 of 2

present participle of inn entry 2

Examples of inning in a Sentence

Noun

She hit a double in the fourth inning.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

He was pinch-hit for in the sixth inning and said after the game that the move was precautionary. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026

But after four innings of dealing from Daniel Lynch IV, the Tigers got all of it back in the fifth inning. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026

Mike Yastrzemski hit a three-run homer during a four-run sixth inning to give the Braves the lead. — CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026

Before the incident occurred, Bregman hit a run-scoring single in the first inning and walked and eventually scored in the third. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

in entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1735, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing inning

• the seventh-inning stretch

Rhymes for inning

• binning
• dinning
• ginning
• grinning
• pinning
• sinning
• skinning
• spinning
• thinning
• tinning
• twinning
• winning

Kids Definition

inning

noun

in·​ning ˈin-iŋ 

: a division of a baseball game consisting of a turn at bat for each team

also : a baseball team's turn at bat