strikeout

1 of 2

noun

strike·​out ˈstrīk-ˌau̇t How to pronounce strikeout (audio)
: an out in baseball resulting from a batter's being charged with three strikes

strike out

2 of 2

verb

struck out; struck out also stricken out; striking out; strikes out

intransitive verb

1
: to enter upon a course of action
struck out on her own after graduating
2
: to set out vigorously
3
: to make an out in baseball by a strikeout
4
: to finish bowling a string with consecutive strikes
specifically : to bowl three strikes in the last frame
5
US, informal : fail sense 2c
6
: to try to hit suddenly
struck out wildly with his arms
often used with at
struck out at the officers
7
: to remove (something) from a document
struck out a paragraph

transitive verb

of a baseball pitcher : to retire (someone) by a strikeout

Examples of strikeout in a Sentence

Verb their joint venture in Las Vegas struck out, and they hurriedly dissolved the partnership struck out all references to indecent matters
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.
Noun
His 1,259 strikeouts with the Cubs rank seventh in franchise history, while his 270 games started rank 10th. Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025 His 1,259 strikeouts with the Cubs sit seventh in Cubs history, while his 270 games started rank 10th in franchise history. Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Verb
Unable to strike out on their own, their lives decided for them by society’s unruly edicts. Holly Jones, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025 Wind is a bespectacled and genial former Christie’s adviser who struck out on his own eight years ago, quickly establishing his firm, Wind Vintage, as a trustworthy source for the best collectible timepieces. The Editors, Robb Report, 8 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strikeout

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1887, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1707, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of strikeout was in 1707

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Strikeout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strikeout. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

strikeout

1 of 2 noun
strike·​out ˈstrī-ˌkau̇t How to pronounce strikeout (audio)
: an out in baseball resulting from a batter's being charged with three strikes

strike out

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)strī-ˈkau̇t
1
: to enter upon a course of action
struck out on my own after graduation
2
: to make an out or cause to make an out in baseball by a strikeout
the shortstop struck out
the pitcher struck him out with a curve

More from Merriam-Webster on strikeout

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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