step up to the plate

idiomatic phrase

baseball

: to move into position next to home plate in order to bat

In April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson stepped up to the plate for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field in New York City.

—Nelida Gonzalez Cutler

—often used figuratively in U.S. English to refer to showing readiness to meet a challenge (as by increased effort or improved performance)

If you want this promotion, you're going to have to step up to the plate.

"The mother either needs to continue to be the disciplinarian or get the father to step up to the plate and be a team player."

—Barbara Lewin

Examples of step up to the plate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But Scott Mulhauser, a veteran Senate staffer and former aide to Biden, said McConnell needs to step up to the plate. —Maureen Groppe, The Courier-Journal, 9 May 2023

Imperial Valley landowners need to step up to the plate — and threatening funding for the Salton Sea creates political leverage over them. —Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2023

Major donors to the U.N. system should step up to the plate to make sure more resources are being targeted to achieve gender equality in official climate meetings, both for COPs and for constituted body sessions. —Catherine McKenna, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2022

Or can another team in the Three Rivers League step up to the plate? —oregonlive, 31 Aug. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for step up to the plate

• borosilicate
• decontaminate
• deoxycholate
• deteriorate
• differentiate
• diisocyanate
• dinoflagellate
• excommunicate
• incapacitate
• insubordinate
• intercorporate
• interpenetrate