designated hitter
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of designated hitter
An Americanism dating back to 1970–75
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With one towering blast to right field, the Trojans’ designated hitter silenced Texas A&M’s rowdy 12th Man.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
In the independent Atlantic League, the league has run several years of testing on a “double hook” rule: when a team removes its starting pitcher, it loses its designated hitter.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 18, 2026
The moment Dodgers designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani hit three home runs and struck out 10 batters in Game 4 of the 2025 NLCS, the value of his cards went up.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2025
That was the end of Ohtani's night as the pitcher, but under a 2022 regulation change known as the 'Ohtani rule',, external he was allowed to remain in the game as designated hitter.
From BBC • Nov. 2, 2025
He kept talking about how the designated hitter in baseball was bad and why basketball was a commercial success and what teams looked promising in college football.
From "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
