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

The Dodgers scored in the fourth when Mookie Betts came home from third as Teoscar Hernández hit into a double play.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Another season, outfielder Craig Simon, knowing he was weak at the plate, intentionally struck out so he could avoid an impending double play, much to the dismay of the opposing team.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026

Not a double play combination like the famous Chicago Cubs’ Tinker to Evers to Chance.

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