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

Example Sentences

He celebrated his 28th birthday on Friday by entering in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter and banging a game-tying single on his first-ever postseason swing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 11, 2025

Six months after his last at-bat — he struck out as a pinch hitter in the final week of the 1986 season — Russell was back in uniform as the team’s bench coach.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2025

And in true fashion, Angels World Series MVP Troy Glaus made a surprise cameo as a pinch hitter.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2025

But Angels manager Ron Washington replaced him with pinch hitter Jo Adell, a right-handed-hitting power threat, who was hitless in his last 18 plate appearances.

From Seattle Times • May 31, 2024

I know that Gramps can’t be that late-inning pinch hitter I’d hoped for.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

• backup
• designated hitter
• replacement