relief pitcher

noun

: a baseball pitcher who takes over for another during a game

Examples of relief pitcher in a Sentence

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.
As of last night, Josh Hader is one of five active relief pitchers to reach 800 career strikeouts.#BuiltForThis x @budweiserusa pic.twitter.com/BlZBwvglgC — Houston Astros (@astros) June 15, 2025 Hader is a huge reason that the Astros bullpen ranks sixth in MLB with a 3.56 ERA this season. Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025 Helsley, Rogers, and Soto are all relief pitchers, while Mullins is a center-fielder who once had a 30/30 season. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025 The 28-year-old relief pitcher entered a game that appeared hopelessly lost. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 10 Aug. 2025 Then their new relief pitcher allowed a mammoth game-tying home run on a blazing fastball. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for relief pitcher

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of relief pitcher was in 1884

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Relief pitcher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relief%20pitcher. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

relief pitcher

noun
: a baseball pitcher who takes over for another during a game

More from Merriam-Webster on relief pitcher

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!