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
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.
The Sox lost to the Guardians 9-3, with Cleveland's Jo Adell and José Ramírez dominating at bat with a pair of two-out triples. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 In his first at bat, Ohtani struck out on four pitches from Kerr, only one of which was even remotely close to the strike zone. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Gasper, who entered Tuesday with five home runs in 239 career at bats, scored Boston’s only runs before extra innings with solo shots against Tyler Phillips in the second and Tyler Zuber in the sixth. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 The batter at the plate had hit a 400-foot triple in his previous at bat. — John Nogowski, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for at bat

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

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

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Cite this Entry

“At bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20bat. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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