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

Rutschman drove a fastball from Smith to center, but Drew Gilbert nestled under the fly ball without issue to end the inning. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2026

Anderson tipped his cap in the third inning after Arozarena made a leaping catch at the left-field wall to take a home run away from Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya. — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Tatis homered off starter Bailey Ober with one out in the third inning and again off Taylor Rogers leading off the eighth. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

The call was overturned, giving the New York Mets outfielder another shot and a 2-2 count in the third-inning against Chicago White Sox starter Luis Castillo. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 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