home run

American  

[hohm ruhn] / ˈhoʊm ˈrʌn /

noun

home runs plural

1. Also called homer.  Baseball. a hit that enables a batter, without the aid of a fielding error, to score a run by making a nonstop circuit of the bases. h.r., hr, HR

2. a complete or unqualified success.

   trying to hit a home run at the box office.

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home run British  

noun

1. baseball a hit that enables the batter to run round all four bases, usually by hitting the ball out of the playing area

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home run Idioms  

1. A highly successful achievement; also, doubling one's profits. For example, We scored a home run with that drug stock, buying it at 15 and selling at 30. This expression originated in the mid-1800s in baseball, where it refers to a pitched ball batted so far that the batter can round all three bases and reach home plate, scoring a run. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• home runs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of home run

An Americanism first recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Dalton Rushing, who has taken over as the Dodgers’ primary catcher in Smith’s absence, is batting .213 with one home run and 19 strikeouts in 18 games while Smith has been on the injured list.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026

He hit a home run on the first pitch he ever saw in the minors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026

Ohtani gave the Sacramento crowd what it wanted to see: a majestic 432-foot home run, with a supercharged, 112-mph exit velocity.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026

In the bottom of the inning, the A’s also bunched four hits, including a Colby Thomas home run, to take a 3-2 lead.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026

“Dusty didn’t hit a home run on Friday night,” I say.

From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner

Related Words

• center
• dead center
• omphalos