at bat

noun

plural at bats
baseball
: a turn at batting
had three hits in five at bats

Note: For the purposes of calculating a player's batting average and slugging percentage, an official at bat is charged for each turn at batting except when the player walks, hits a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly, is hit by a pitched ball, or is interfered with by the catcher.

Examples of at bat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 86 at bats, Perez racked up 29 hits, 19 runs and 20 RBIs. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Feb. 2024 Boston leadoff hitter Jarren Duran led off the first inning with a first-pitch single, stole second and scored on a Justin Turner single two at bats later to make it 1-0. Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 6 July 2023 Two at bats later, Lane Thomas hit a first-pitch slider for a single, stole second and scored after Meneses turned on a middle-middle fastball for a double. Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 9 July 2023 During his first at bat of the game, the right-fielder memorably hit a game-winning walk-off two-run homer against the A's closing pitcher. Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 23 Oct. 2023 Langford had just four at bats as a freshman in Gainesville. Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 18 July 2023 At some point the philosophy of celebrations shifted entirely, with the player who was at bat being the ultimate hero, even if the winning run scored on a fielding error. David Waldstein, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2023 Sophomore Maddie Engle is at .500 (eight at bats) with four RBIs and a homer. Brian Haenchen, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Apr. 2023 Advertisement Dignity, alas, has gone the way of outfield walls without ads and pitchers taking their turn at bat. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at bat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of at bat was in 1908

Dictionary Entries Near at bat

Cite this Entry

“At bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20bat. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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