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ball hawk

American  

noun

  1. Baseball. an outfielder with outstanding defensive skills, especially at fielding fly balls.

  2. Sports. a defensive player, as in basketball or football, who excels in gaining possession of the ball.


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:

And he agreed with Payton’s assessment of him as a ball hawk.

From Washington Times Nov. 23, 2023

That usually means the linebackers are struggling, but Chaminade has outstanding linebackers, so it’s more about Gallegos being a ball hawk.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 25, 2022

The definition of a ball hawk, the Honey Badger turned games in the Tigers' favor with an uncanny ability to make big plays when they were needed most.

From Seattle Times Aug. 10, 2012

That sleek, smart, ball hawk of a safety — how did he ever slip to the sixth round of the draft?

From New York Times Aug. 20, 2010

The St. Louis Cardinals bypassed several more-established stars to grab Norm Thompson as their first-round choice; a defensive back from Utah, Thompson is an aggressive ball hawk who intercepted seven passes last season.

From Time Magazine Archive

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