pinch hitter

American  

noun

1. Baseball. a substitute who bats for a teammate, often at a critical moment of the game.

2. any substitute for another, especially in an emergency.

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pinch hitter Idioms  

1. A substitute for another person, especially in an emergency. For example, Pat expected her mother to help with the baby, but just in case, she lined up her mother-in-law as pinch hitter. This expression comes from baseball, where it is used for a player substituting for another at bat at a critical point or in a tight situation (called a pinch since the late 1400s). [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of pinch hitter

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pinch hitter

In “Banana Ball,” the umpire dances, the pitcher sings and the pinch hitter straps on stilts—all packed into a strict two-hour clock.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

Roberts burned rookie Josue De Paula as a pinch hitter, swapping him out for Kiké Hernández when the Brewers brought in left-handed reliever DL Hall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

With two outs and the tying run on first in the top of the ninth, he sent Chaney up to the plate as a pinch hitter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

He gave up a single to pinch hitter Jacob Stinson and a walk to Wade Hadeen.

From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2024

If it weren’t for my speller, I’d have to use replacement or stand-in or pinch hitter instead.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

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Related Words

• backup
• designated hitter
• replacement

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