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
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

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
Mike Vasil pitched well in the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with one strikeout in a career-high 5 1/3 innings. Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025 Woo worked efficiently through the Twins’ lineup for much of the day, finishing with nine strikeouts. Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 24 June 2025
Verb
The 39-year-old has a 2.33 ERA in 31 games, striking out 29 batters in 27 innings, and he’s owed the remainder of his $ 4.5 million salary before becoming a free agent in the offseason. Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 5 July 2025 Alcantara threw six innings, allowing five runs (all earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out four. Miami Herald, 5 July 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

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Cite this Entry

“Strikeout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strikeout. Accessed 9 Jul. 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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