at bat

American  

[at bat] / ˈæt ˈbæt /

adverb

Baseball.

1. taking one's turn to bat in a game.

   And now Sanchez is at bat with two runners in scoring position.

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noun

Baseball.

1. a player’s turn to bat, officially recorded as such unless the batter walks, is hit by a pitch, makes a sacrifice hit, or is interfered with by the catcher.

   In her debut appearance with the Rockford Peaches, she posted two hits in three at-bats.

at bat Idioms  

1. Taking one's turn. For example, At this conference, with so many interruptions, it's hard to tell which speaker is at bat, or I was nervous while waiting to testify, but once at bat I felt better. This idiom, from baseball, was already being transferred to other enterprises by the 1880s. Also see on deck.

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Etymology

Origin of at bat

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

In the eighth, “Let’s go Dodgers” chants picked up with Andy Pages at bat and Ohtani and Tucker on first and second base.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

Can he still generate the power needed to be productive at bat?

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 19, 2024

When the White Sox had their turn at bat, Tim Anderson slammed a two-run homer way out into the corn, winning the game, 9-8.

From NewsForKids.net • Apr. 12, 2024

If they’d hit a home run in their first at bat, the game would be a lot less exciting.

From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2024

When the Warriors were at bat, I went over to her bench and asked her if she felt like playing left field.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger