brushback
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of brushback
First recorded in 1950–55; noun use of verb phrase brush back
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.
The last choice is the wimp’s way out, since the batter will lose his teammates’ respect, while opposing pitchers will consider him a pushover and fire more brushback pitches at him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
He policed brushback pitches with ardor and once called a night game for darkness when lighting malfunctions compromised visibility near home plate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
And in Major League Baseball, brushback pitches, beanballs and brawls are part of the sport’s lore, and are excused as apt punishment for breaking the game’s unwritten rules.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 13, 2023
Back then it was simply a brushback pitch, legal theatre of the absurd.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 17, 2020
The move by the operative, Guy Cecil, was described by three people familiar with the discussions as a brushback to Jim Messina, President Obama’s campaign manager in 2012 and now the co-chairman of Priorities’s board.
From New York Times ● May 1, 2015
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
