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.

That proved to be the difference when Freeman, with a chance to be the hero, grounded into a double play with the winning run at second base.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

Today I watched as Shohei Ohtani, the day after pitching seven innings, go 0 for 5 with two strikeouts while grounding into a double play.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

That is how a teenager got a three-time American League MVP to bounce into a double play in front of 30,000 incredulous fans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

It’s weird, but also as powerfully effective as, say, a double play fly ball to end a World Series game.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 14, 2025

Well, my walk didn’t matter since I got nailed at second base in a double play.

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson

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