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passed ball

American  
[past bawl] / ˈpæst ˌbɔl /

noun

Baseball.
  1. a pitched ball that the catcher can reasonably be expected to catch but misses, allowing one or more base runners to advance one or more bases.


Etymology

Origin of passed ball

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

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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:

Matt Chapman walked on a full-count fastball that caromed off catcher Smith’s glove for a passed ball that allowed Wade to score for a 1-0 Giants lead.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 23, 2024

Richland would add a fourth run in the bottom of the fourth when Carter Upmeyer scored on a passed ball.

From Seattle Times May 25, 2024

Newport Harbor 4, Corona del Mar 3: A passed ball in the seventh inning gave Newport Harbor a walk-off victory.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 12, 2024

He advanced to second on a passed ball, hustled to third on J.P.

From Seattle Times Apr. 6, 2024

This really turned out to be the “break” in the game, for it was on that passed ball that Snodgrass was put out.

From Pitching in a Pinch or, Baseball from the Inside by Mathewson, Christy

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