at bat

American  

[at bat] / ˈæt ˈbæt /

adverb

Baseball.

1. taking one's turn to bat in a game.

   And now Sanchez is at bat with two runners in scoring position.

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noun

Baseball.

1. a player’s turn to bat, officially recorded as such unless the batter walks, is hit by a pitch, makes a sacrifice hit, or is interfered with by the catcher.

   In her debut appearance with the Rockford Peaches, she posted two hits in three at-bats.

at bat Idioms  

1. Taking one's turn. For example, At this conference, with so many interruptions, it's hard to tell which speaker is at bat, or I was nervous while waiting to testify, but once at bat I felt better. This idiom, from baseball, was already being transferred to other enterprises by the 1880s. Also see on deck.

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Etymology

Origin of at bat

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

The eighth-year Angels veteran scored on a single from Jo Adell — extending his hit streak to a career-high 11 games — in the next at bat.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2025

Then came her most important at bat of the season.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2025

When the White Sox had their turn at bat, Tim Anderson slammed a two-run homer way out into the corn, winning the game, 9-8.

From NewsForKids.net • Apr. 12, 2024

If they’d hit a home run in their first at bat, the game would be a lot less exciting.

From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2024

He wrote them on it so that he'd have something to read when he was in the field and nobody was up at bat.

From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger