double play

American

[duhb-uhl pley] / ˈdʌb əl ˈpleɪ /

noun

Baseball.

a play of continuous fielding action in which two putouts are made. DP

double play British

noun

baseball a play in which two runners are put out

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of double play

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

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:

double play

Santana eventually got Caballero to ground into a double play, but the stall tactics irked him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Twice, Ryan Ward, the next batter, grounded into a double play, dashing any momentum.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026

Despite surrendering a line-drive single to Geraldo Perdomo, Ohtani escaped unscathed thanks to the inning-ending double play.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

Infield defense again got Klein out of a jam in the eighth, turning a double play after back-to-back singles to maintain the lead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026

There’s nothing like a double play to make yourself a friend or two.

From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko

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