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reliever

American  
[ri-lee-ver] / rɪˈli vər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that relieves.

  2. Baseball. relief pitcher.

reliever British  
/ rɪˈliːvə /

noun

  1. baseball another name for relief pitcher

"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 reliever

First recorded in 1475–85; relieve, -er 1

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.

“It’s easy to come here and work hard,” said Ben Casparius, the Dodgers’ 27-year-old third-year reliever.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

But Harper's salvo proved to be in vain as Venezuela regained the lead in the ninth inning, punishing a shaky performance from US reliever Garrett Whitlock to clinch victory.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Meanwhile, New York Yankees reliever David Bednar’s status is unknown as well after he threw 44 pitches over the same span.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Will Klein went from relatively unknown to Dodgers World Series legend in four innings, but the reliever knew he would “shine” in the pressure-packed moment.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

The plant would be a valuable pain reliever for Old Benedikt, who was suffering from gout.

From "Son" by Lois Lowry

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.