pinch hitter

noun

Synonyms of pinch hitternext
: one that pinch-hits

Synonyms of pinch hitter

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Examples of pinch hitter in a Sentence

the business owners brought in a pinch hitter until a permanent manager could be hired
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.
Rookie pinch hitter Josue De Paula walked with two outs, with Kyle Tucker following with one of his own. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Andrew Vaughn flied out and pinch hitter Gary Sanchez walked, taking six straight pitches. — Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026 Managers call upon pinch hitters to substitute for batters and to increase the chances of getting a hit. — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 4 Oct. 2026 Andrew Vaughn flied out and pinch hitter Gary Sánchez walked, taking six straight pitches. — ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pinch hitter

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pinch hitter was in 1896

Rhymes for pinch hitter

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Browse Nearby Words

pinch hit
pinch hitter
pinching bar
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Cite this Entry

“Pinch hitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinch%20hitter. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

pinch hitter

noun
1
: a baseball player sent in to bat for another especially when a hit is needed
2
: a person called upon to do another's work in an emergency
pinch-hit
(ˈ)pinch-ˈhit
verb

More from Merriam-Webster on pinch hitter

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pinch hitter

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