perfect game

American  

noun

1. a baseball game in which the same player pitches throughout the full game without allowing any player of the opposing team to reach first base by a base hit, base on balls, error, or any other means.

2. a game in bowling of 12 consecutive strikes.

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perfect game British  

noun

1. baseball a game in which no batter on the opposing team reaches first base

2. tenpin bowling a game in which a bowler scores twelve consecutive strikes

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Etymology

Origin of perfect game

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Brentwood 7, Viewpoint 0: Jack Kaplan threw a perfect game with 15 strikeouts.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

In 1965, for the Sandy Koufax perfect game: “There’s 29,000 people in the ballpark and a million butterflies.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

"If we are searching for a perfect game, I guess that's something we can hopefully model our game on," he told BBC Sport.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

India say they can peak at the right time and play their "perfect game" in the Super Eights at the T20 World Cup, while playing down the abject form of opening batsman Abhishek Sharma.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

I would have to play a perfect game of Pac-Man.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline