Showing results for passed ball. Search instead for Missed+Call.

passed ball

American

[past bawl] / ˈpæst ˌbɔl /

noun

Baseball.

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.

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

passed ball

On Friday, in the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees scored their only run on Rushing’s passed ball.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

After a strikeout, the runners moved up to second and third following a passed ball.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026

Edison 9, Newport Harbor 8: The Chargers won it in the bottom of the seventh on a passed ball.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 29, 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

This really turned out to be the “break” in the game, for it was on that passed ball that Snodgrass was put out.

From Pitching in a Pinch or, Baseball from the Inside by Christy Mathewson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023