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.

---

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]

---

Etymology

Origin of pinch hitter

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pinch hitter

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

Colorado tacked on two runs off reliever Matt Sauer in the eighth on a lead-out single from pinch hitter Yanquiel Fernández’s and Doyle’s 13th home run of the season an out later.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 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

He fanned pinch hitter Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay’s top minor league prospect, to end his outing with five strikeouts and no walks.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 3, 2023

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

Related Words

• backup
• designated hitter
• replacement