inning

American  

[in-ing] / ˈɪn ɪŋ /

noun

1. Baseball. a division of a game during which each team has an opportunity to score until three outs have been made against it.

2. a similar opportunity to score in certain other games, as horseshoes.

3. an opportunity for activity; a turn.

   Now the opposition will have its inning.

4. (used with a singular verb) innings,

   1. Cricket. a unit of play in which each team has a turn at bat, the turn of a team ending after ten players are put out or when the team declares.

   2. land reclaimed, especially from the sea.

5. the act of reclaiming marshy or flooded land.

6. enclosure, as of wasteland.

7. the gathering in of crops.

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inning British  

/ ˈɪnɪŋ /

noun

1. baseball a division of the game consisting of a turn at bat and a turn in the field for each side

2. archaic the reclamation of land from the sea

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Etymology

Origin of inning

before 900; Middle English inninge, Old English innung a getting in, equivalent to inn ( ian ) to go in + -ung -ing ¹

Explanation

Most baseball games are divided into nine innings. Each inning gives both teams a chance to be up at bat until they get three strikes. Cricket was the first sport to mark periods in innings, or "a team's turn in action during a game," emphasis on the in. While a cricket match can have four innings, the majority of baseball games have nine (though in the case of a tie, an unlimited number of extra innings can be added at the end of a game). At the start of each new inning (and half-inning), the teams switch places and the umpire yells, "Play ball!"

Example Sentences

Three strikeouts first inning for Dustin Dunwoody of Royal.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

In the fifth inning Friday, Wyatt Langford deposited a Glasnow curveball into the Dodgers’ bullpen; his first home run this season pushed Texas’ advantage to 4-2.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

There is something magical about seeing Ohtani polish off his first inning on the mound, then immediately grab a bat and head to the plate without ever stopping in the dugout.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Gahr 7, JSerra 2: A five-run first inning was key for Gahr.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Then, muttering thanks to the Goddess Kwan Yin, she flung her weary self into the armchair to seek solace in the uninterrupted enjoyment of the last inning.

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord

Related Words

• round
• shot
• stint
• stretch