box score

American  

noun

Sports.

1. a record of the play of a game, especially a baseball or basketball game, in which, on separate sides of the record, the players on each team are listed in a column by name and position, with additional rows of columns, each headed by the abbreviation of the type of information to be given for each player.

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box score Idioms  

1. A detailed summary of actions or an event, as in The President wanted to base his reelection campaign on his box score . The term comes from baseball, where since about 1910 it has signified a statistical summary in table form of the essential details of a game. About 1930 it began to be used figuratively, especially by politicians referring to their own record while in office.

2. In military slang, the number of dead, wounded, or missing in action. For example, Never mind the details of the battle; just give the lieutenant the box score . [c. 1950]

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Etymology

Origin of box score

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

Example Sentences

They nearly blew the whole deal, letting the Jayhawks rally from a 14-point second half grave and almost sending them back to Gotham with a mortifying, choke-job L. It took a layup as time expired, guard Dylan Darling calling his own number despite zero field goals on the box score and making more red magic happen.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the box score, Pierce was credited with 28 points.

From Los Angeles Times

When the buzzer mercifully sounded, the box score made no bones about the fact the Trojans had been outworked and outclassed in almost every facet of the game.

From Los Angeles Times

The next time Austin Reaves refers to his non-Luka Doncic and non-LeBron James teammates as his “supporting cast” someone should show him the box score from the Thunder rout: five turnovers, 0 for 5 on three-point shots, four for 12 from the field, and three assists in 30 minutes.

From Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Dodgers are going to the World Series for the second consecutive season because Ohtani carried them there with a box score that defies belief.

From The Wall Street Journal