Meaning & use
pinch hitter
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablesport
In baseball, a player who bats in place of another player, usually at a key moment.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a pinch hitter' or 'pinch hitters'. Often followed by 'for' to name the replaced player.
Patterns
- pinch hitter for someone
The manager sent in a pinch hitter for the pitcher.
As a pinch hitter, she hit a home run in the ninth inning.
He often comes off the bench as a pinch hitter.
nouncountableinformal
Anyone who takes over someone else's job or role at short notice, especially in an emergency.
Grammar: Countable; often used informally and followed by 'for'.
Patterns
- pinch hitter for someone
When the chef got sick, the owner acted as a pinch hitter for the evening.
She was a last-minute pinch hitter for the absent speaker.
We need a pinch hitter to cover the night shift.
Word forms
| plural | pinch hitters |
|---|
Common combinations
- act as a pinch hitter
- He acted as a pinch hitter when the regular player was injured.
- come in as a pinch hitter
- She came in as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning.
- pinch hitter for someone
- The rookie was a pinch hitter for the star player.
- send in a pinch hitter
- The coach decided to send in a pinch hitter.
Synonyms and how they differ
- substitute
- A general word for someone who takes another's place; 'pinch hitter' is more specific to baseball or informal emergency replacements.
- stand-in
- Often used for a temporary replacement in performances or film; 'pinch hitter' is more common in sports or informal contexts.
- replacement
- A neutral term for someone or something that takes the place of another; 'pinch hitter' emphasizes the short-notice, temporary nature.
Commonly confused: pinch hitter or pinch runner?
pinch hitter vs pinch runner
A 'pinch runner' is a player who runs the bases in place of another player, while a 'pinch hitter' bats in place of another.
Practice
The team needed a substitute batter, so they called on a _____.
Choose one answer.
'Pinch hitter' fits because it refers to a substitute batter. 'Pinch runner' is wrong because it means a substitute base runner, not a batter. 'Pinch pennies' is a verb phrase meaning to economize, and 'pinchable' is an adjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pinch hitter”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.