softball

noun

soft·ball | \ ˈsȯf(t)-ˌbȯl

Definition of softball

1 : a sport similiar to baseball played on a small diamond with a ball that is larger than a baseball and that is pitched underhand also : the ball used in this game

2 : a question requiring only an easy or simple response

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Examples of softball in a Sentence

Do you want to play softball? All the questions in the interview were softballs.

Recent Examples on the Web

The actor posted some photos from what looks to be a softball match between Team Riverdale and Team Greendale, Sabrina’s hometown. — Kara Nesvig, Teen Vogue, "Kiernan Shipka Tried to Be Like "Sabrina" in Real Life," 24 Sep. 2018 The whiffle ball is the same size as a 12-inch softball. — Karen Pilarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin's first WhirlyBall entertainment center, restaurant could be coming soon to Brookfield Square," 11 July 2018 Plus, he’s been umpiring and training umpires in fast-pitch softball for the past 18 years. — Kyle Stackpole, Howard County Times, "Howard County announces 2018 Community Sports Hall of Fame induction class," 7 July 2018 There was a, 15-0, softball state semifinal last month, but most of the final four games were competitive; as was the case in baseball. — Wells Dusenbury, Sun-Sentinel.com, "FHSAA pitches radical new playoff format for multiple team sports," 25 June 2018 Previous SlideNext Slide Dog treat jerky As far as taste tests go, this is a softball for the June Oven. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "June postscript: 5 unusual things you can make in an Internet-connected oven," 31 Dec. 2018 In beep ball, an variation on baseball, players aim to hit a ball larger than a softball that beeps. — Jen Murphy, WSJ, "USC’s Blind Football Player Proves Gym Time Leads to Game Time," 8 Sep. 2018 Jerry DeJulia of Danbury will receive the Bernie Iassogna Hall of Honor Award for his many contributions to the game of softball. — courant.com, "Regional Digest: USA Softball Of Connecticut Announces Hall Of Fame Class," 9 July 2018 Their daughter, Kelsey, 24, played four years of softball for Florida Gulf Coast University. — Leslie Postal, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Stanley Cup: Oviedo couple marvel at son's journey from Florida rinks to finals," 1 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'softball.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

16 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for softball

The first known use of softball was in 1867

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More Definitions for softball

softball

noun

English Language Learners Definition of softball

: a sport that is similar to baseball but that is played on a smaller field and with a ball that is pitched underhand and that is larger and softer than a baseball

: the ball that is used in softball

US : a question that is very easy to answer

See the full definition for softball in the English Language Learners Dictionary

softball

noun

soft·ball | \ ˈsȯft-ˌbȯl