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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Recent Examples of pinch hitters
Aroldis Chapman issued a pair of walks to pinch hitters Max Schuemann and Amed Rosario in the ninth before securing his 13th save.
—
CBS News,
5 June 2026
Each hit a home run, making this the first time two American League pinch hitters hit home runs in the same game.
—
Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Both entered the game as pinch hitters.
—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
The club has five starting-caliber outfielders and can only play four at a time, and since four of those outfielders also bat left-handed, the Red Sox can’t even set up a platoon or effectively deploy pinch hitters late in game.
—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
Agnifilo, Kaplan and Geragos are joining Weinstein’s team as pinch hitters ahead of his next appearance in Manhattan Supreme Court on March 4, with a trial date still to be set for the outstanding third-degree rape charge concerning an alleged assault on aspiring actor Jessica Mann in 2013.
—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
The Jays used four pinch hitters and defensive substitutions.
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Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
22 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
CBS News,
5 June 2026
Each hit a home run, making this the first time two American League pinch hitters hit home runs in the same game.
—
Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Both entered the game as pinch hitters.
—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
The club has five starting-caliber outfielders and can only play four at a time, and since four of those outfielders also bat left-handed, the Red Sox can’t even set up a platoon or effectively deploy pinch hitters late in game.
—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
Agnifilo, Kaplan and Geragos are joining Weinstein’s team as pinch hitters ahead of his next appearance in Manhattan Supreme Court on March 4, with a trial date still to be set for the outstanding third-degree rape charge concerning an alleged assault on aspiring actor Jessica Mann in 2013.
—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
The Jays used four pinch hitters and defensive substitutions.
—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
22 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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His Five Forces framework—competitive rivalry, new entrants, substitutes, buyer power and supplier power—became the definitive lens for assessing whether an industry is worth entering.
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All four goals in this game have come from players who entered as substitutes.
Noun
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Battery pack replacements typically range from $5,000 to $20,000.
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In their place, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente somewhat bafflingly lined up Barcelona duo Ferrán Torres and Gavi as their replacements.
Noun
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Twenty terabytes is enough for large photo collections, video projects, business archives, backups, and years of personal files.
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The water behind walls, ceilings, and floors—drain backups that can impact multiple units.
Cite this Entry
“Pinch hitters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinch%20hitters. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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