left field

noun

1

: the position of the player defending left field

2

: the part of the baseball outfield to the left looking out from the plate

3

a

: a state or position far from the mainstream (as of prevailing opinion)

they were really out in left field with that idea

b

: a source of the unexpected or illogical

that question came out of left field

left fielder noun

Examples of left field in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It is finished out of left field with barely more than a teaspoon of sweet vermouth, offering just enough plush fruit and herbaceousness to keep it complex and interesting while keeping the overall sweetness very low. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 24 Jan. 2026

Bader, the best of the other free-agent outfielders, could fit short term, even with the Mets wanting to keep center field or left field open for rookie Carson Benge. —Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026

The roof was open, as were the huge window panels behind what typically is left field at loanDepot Park — home of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins. —CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026

The roof was open, as were the huge window panels behind what typically is left field at loanDepot Park — home of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins. —Tim Reynolds, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for left field

• afield
• airfield
• annealed
• appealed
• brownfield
• coalfield
• concealed
• congealed
• cornfield
• downfield
• goldfield
• hayfield

Kids Definition

left field

noun

1

: the part of the baseball outfield to the left looking out from home plate

2

: the position of the player defending left field

left fielder noun