pinch hitter

noun

Synonyms of pinch hitternext
: one that pinch-hits

Examples of pinch hitter in a Sentence

the business owners brought in a pinch hitter until a permanent manager could be hired
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.
And Jessi will always remember her first high school game, coming in as a pinch hitter. Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2026 But Farmer, after going two weeks without game action, played Tuesday against Detroit and went 1-for-3 coming off the bench as a pinch hitter in place of DH Dominic Smith. Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 3 May 2026 As a result Yoshida has only been used as a pinch hitter in five games this season, going 1 for 4 with a walk and an RBI in those situations. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026 Francisco Alvarez had been 0 for 28 in his big league career as a pinch hitter before his eighth-inning single. Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pinch hitter

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pinch hitter was in 1896

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pinch hitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinch%20hitter. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

pinch hitter

noun
1
: a baseball player sent in to bat for another especially when a hit is needed
2
: a person called upon to do another's work in an emergency
pinch-hit
(ˈ)pinch-ˈhit
verb

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