bat around
phrasal verb
batted around; batting around; bats around
informal
: to think about or talk about (something, such as an idea) for a period of time
The plan was batted around for a while, but it was finally rejected.
We've been batting the idea around for a few years.
Examples of bat around in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The recording project Crutchfield seems most excited about is an idea she’s been batting around with Cook for a while: a collection of songs from Waxahatchee’s earlier days, reworked in arrangements more suited to her current style.
—
Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2024
However, the Razorbacks batted around in the bottom of the inning to score six runs and end James Madison's upset hopes.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 18 Feb. 2024
Grant is equally sublime as her eccentric husband Sir James, the quintessential vaguely absent British toff, batting around inane observations and plummy superlatives while seeming to float above everything from minor mishaps to major disasters.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Ideas to increase transparency have been batted around: a broadcast delay, where sensitive information is redacted before being broadcast publicly; a phone application that allows accredited reporters to listen in, perhaps in real time.
—Chelsia Rose Marcius, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2023
With Los Angeles police investigating, gallery staff were re-watching surveillance video that captured part of the crime and batting around various theories.
—Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2023
But while this time, 36 samples have been taken from bats around the area where Ali lived, none of them have tested positive for Nipah so far.
—WIRED, 22 Sep. 2023
The Mustangs batted around and scored four runs in the bottom of the second for a 5-1 lead, knocking out Cypress Christian starting pitcher Drew Mestayer.
—Randy Jennings, Dallas News, 16 May 2023
The word gets batted around a lot, but there’s little in Galliano’s unsympathetic demeanor in the interviews shot for High & Low to suggest much more than lip service.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Sep. 2023
Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2024
However, the Razorbacks batted around in the bottom of the inning to score six runs and end James Madison's upset hopes.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 18 Feb. 2024
Grant is equally sublime as her eccentric husband Sir James, the quintessential vaguely absent British toff, batting around inane observations and plummy superlatives while seeming to float above everything from minor mishaps to major disasters.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Ideas to increase transparency have been batted around: a broadcast delay, where sensitive information is redacted before being broadcast publicly; a phone application that allows accredited reporters to listen in, perhaps in real time.
—Chelsia Rose Marcius, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2023
With Los Angeles police investigating, gallery staff were re-watching surveillance video that captured part of the crime and batting around various theories.
—Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2023
But while this time, 36 samples have been taken from bats around the area where Ali lived, none of them have tested positive for Nipah so far.
—WIRED, 22 Sep. 2023
The Mustangs batted around and scored four runs in the bottom of the second for a 5-1 lead, knocking out Cypress Christian starting pitcher Drew Mestayer.
—Randy Jennings, Dallas News, 16 May 2023
The word gets batted around a lot, but there’s little in Galliano’s unsympathetic demeanor in the interviews shot for High & Low to suggest much more than lip service.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bat around.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Bat around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bat%20around. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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