designated hitter

noun

Synonyms of designated hitternext
1
: a baseball player designated at the start of the game to bat in place of the pitcher without causing the pitcher to be removed from the game
2
: representative, substitute

Synonyms of designated hitter

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Examples of designated hitter in a Sentence

you'll have to be my designated hitter in the office while I'm on business trips
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida was back but didn't play after staying away Saturday because of illness. — ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026 Royals designated hitter Josh Rojas also added a two-run single off Holmes in the second inning. — Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026 As if it were ripped from a movie script, Crow-Armstrong slugged a leadoff home run in the first — just as Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani had in the top of the inning to cap a 10-pitch at-bat against Shota Imanaga. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026 Yan had given up two singles and a walk to load the bases before getting Cleveland designated hitter Chase DeLauter on a 90-mph slider for strike three and the second out of the inning. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for designated hitter

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of designated hitter was in 1928

Rhymes for designated hitter

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Browse Nearby Words

designated driver
designated hitter
designation
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Cite this Entry

“Designated hitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/designated%20hitter. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on designated hitter

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about designated hitter

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