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Synonyms

relief pitcher

American  

noun

Baseball.

  1. a pitcher brought into a game to replace another pitcher, often in a critical situation.

  2. a pitcher regularly so used, as opposed to one who regularly starts games.

relief pitcher British  

noun

  1. Also called: reliever.  baseball a pitcher who replaces a side's main pitcher during a game

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of relief pitcher

First recorded in 1945–50

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.

Relief pitcher Albert Abreu is back with the Yankees, two months after he was traded to Texas as part of the deal that brought catcher Jose Trevino to New York.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 21, 2022

Relief pitcher Sean Doolittle, a member of the 2019 championship team on his second stint with the franchise, called the news surprising but said he doesn’t expect the development to be a distraction.

From Washington Post • Apr. 11, 2022

Relief pitcher Shane Greene is the only former teammate of Freeman’s currently in the Dodgers clubhouse, after signing a minor league deal with the team this week.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2022

Relief pitcher Ty Buttrey walked away from baseball last spring, but he returns to the Angels refreshed and ready to be an asset in the bullpen.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2022

Relief pitcher Burch Smith entered the game for Oakland and had to take over with the bases loaded and no outs in the inning.

From Fox News • Aug. 17, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.