: one that strikes hard or with heavy blows: such as
a
: a prizefighter who punches hard but has usually little defensive skill
b
: a hard-hitting batter in baseball
Examples of slugger in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Selective sluggers became more prevalent while the running game and contact hitters were deemphasized.
—
Jorge Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
The right-hander, who missed nearly three months with a broken bone in his right foot after taking a comebacker off it in April, was hit again Wednesday night in New York, this time by a 119.5 mph liner off the bat of Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton with two outs in the first inning.
—Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 7 Sep. 2023
Also on the ballot for the first time are former Dodgers and Padres first baseman Adrián González, sluggers Matt Holliday, José Bautista, Victor Martínez and David Wright, infielders José Reyes and Brandon Phillips, and pitchers Bartolo Colón and James Shields.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
Other options loom in free agency, including former All-Star slugger Teoscar Hernandez, whom the Dodgers have shown early interest in, The Times’ Jorge Castillo reported.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
Texas Rangers fans are hoping the slugger Adolis Garcia can blast the franchise to its first World Series title.
—Tania Ganguli, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2023
On the off day, celebrate a World Home Run Derby, with one player from each of the eight participating teams competing for his country, and for the title of baddest slugger on the planet.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2023
The father of Albert Belle, the former American League slugger, was one of Morse’s coaches.
—Michael Bamberger, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Most notably, the documentary focuses on BALCO’s highest-profile connection, baseball slugger Barry Bonds, who, as the film rightly notes, was already likely headed to the Hall of Fame before his sudden explosion of home-run-hitting power.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 15 Aug. 2023
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Jorge Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
The right-hander, who missed nearly three months with a broken bone in his right foot after taking a comebacker off it in April, was hit again Wednesday night in New York, this time by a 119.5 mph liner off the bat of Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton with two outs in the first inning.
—Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 7 Sep. 2023
Also on the ballot for the first time are former Dodgers and Padres first baseman Adrián González, sluggers Matt Holliday, José Bautista, Victor Martínez and David Wright, infielders José Reyes and Brandon Phillips, and pitchers Bartolo Colón and James Shields.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
Other options loom in free agency, including former All-Star slugger Teoscar Hernandez, whom the Dodgers have shown early interest in, The Times’ Jorge Castillo reported.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
Texas Rangers fans are hoping the slugger Adolis Garcia can blast the franchise to its first World Series title.
—Tania Ganguli, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2023
On the off day, celebrate a World Home Run Derby, with one player from each of the eight participating teams competing for his country, and for the title of baddest slugger on the planet.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2023
The father of Albert Belle, the former American League slugger, was one of Morse’s coaches.
—Michael Bamberger, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Most notably, the documentary focuses on BALCO’s highest-profile connection, baseball slugger Barry Bonds, who, as the film rightly notes, was already likely headed to the Hall of Fame before his sudden explosion of home-run-hitting power.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 15 Aug. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slugger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1877, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near slugger
Cite this Entry
“Slugger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slugger. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
slugger
noun
: one (as a batter or boxer) that strikes hard or with heavy blows
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