as in substitutes
a person or thing that takes the place of another
the business owners brought in a pinch hitter until a permanent manager could be hired
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pinch hitters
The Jays used four pinch hitters and defensive substitutions.
—
Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
The club went silently in the bottom of the ninth, with pinch hitters Carlos Narvaez, Rob Refsnyder and Nick Sogard going down 1-2-3.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
There’s also pressure on the bench because teammates, like pinch hitters, never know when they may be subbed in.
—Candace Oehler, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
The club went silently in the bottom of the ninth, with pinch hitters Carlos Narvaez, Rob Refsnyder and Nick Sogard going down 1-2-3.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
There’s also pressure on the bench because teammates, like pinch hitters, never know when they may be subbed in.
—Candace Oehler, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinch hitters
Noun
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But the 34-year-old German helped Brighton manage the last 20 minutes of a routine 2-0 victory over second-from-bottom Burnley with efficiency, alongside fellow substitutes Danny Welbeck and James Milner, as Fabian Hurzeler’s side ended a run of six matches without a win with the minimum of fuss.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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Training must emphasize that risk scores and recommendations are tools for professional judgment, not substitutes for it.—
Maureen Flatley,
Boston Herald,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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But this session will be Polis’ last, and union groups — who have shelved plans to launch a pro-worker ballot campaign — are now starting to eye the governor’s would-be replacements.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
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Kennedy also fired all 17 members of the CDC's vaccine advisory panel and handpicked their replacements, and has been criticized.—
Dr. Jade Cobern,
ABC News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Gugino recommends carrying backups, especially since hooks may corrode at a faster rate in saltwater.—
Francesca Krempa,
Outside,
9 Jan. 2026
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Montgomery will arrive with Cincinnati transfer Evan Pryor to provide returning 1,000-yard rusher Jadan Baugh experienced backups while Duke Clark and Byron Louis will push for bigger roles as redshirt freshmen in 2026.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pinch hitters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinch%20hitters. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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