passed ball

American  

[past bawl] / ˈpæst ˌbɔl /

noun

Baseball.

1. a pitched ball that the catcher can reasonably be expected to catch but misses, allowing one or more base runners to advance one or more bases.

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Etymology

Origin of passed ball

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

Compare meaning

How does passed-ball compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• passed ball vs. wild pitch

Example Sentences

Santa Barbara won on a passed ball in the eighth.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2025

Richland would add a fourth run in the bottom of the fourth when Carter Upmeyer scored on a passed ball.

From Seattle Times • May 25, 2024

After Brenton Doyle’s RBI single, Ezequiel Tovar scored on a passed ball to tie it, and with two outs, Elias Díaz delivered a go-ahead double that sent Colorado to a 10-9 win.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 29, 2024

Jason Heyward had three hits for the Dodgers and scored a run in the sixth when Jason Outman reached on a strikeout and a passed ball by catcher Austin Wynns.

From Washington Times • Sep. 26, 2023

Buck might have done so, but somehow he "crossed signals" with Jack, the result being a passed ball that let in a score.

From Frank Merriwell's Reward by Standish, Burt L.