strikeout

1 of 2

noun

strike·​out ˈstrīk-ˌau̇t How to pronounce strikeout (audio)
: an out in baseball resulting from a batter's being charged with three strikes

strike out

2 of 2

verb

struck out; struck out also stricken out; striking out; strikes out

intransitive verb

1
: to enter upon a course of action
2
: to set out vigorously
3
: to make an out in baseball by a strikeout
4
: to finish bowling a string with consecutive strikes
specifically : to bowl three strikes in the last frame
5

transitive verb

of a baseball pitcher : to retire (someone) by a strikeout

Examples of strikeout in a Sentence

Verb their joint venture in Las Vegas struck out, and they hurriedly dissolved the partnership struck out all references to indecent matters
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.
Noun
In 11 games this season at Triple-A, all starts, Mederos had a 4.09 ERA with 47 strikeouts and 23 walks in 61⅔ innings. Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 8 July 2025 Not since the Cardinals’ Ozzie Smith in 1993 has a player with at least 300 plate appearances reached the All-Star break with fewer than 10 strikeouts. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2025
Verb
Of those six, McLain struck out three — Mays (looking), Aaron (looking) and Torre (swinging). Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 14 July 2025 Left-hander Noah Cameron was fantastic for Kansas City, scattering seven hits and walked two over 6 2/3 shutout innings, striking out eight. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 13 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for strikeout

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1887, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1707, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of strikeout was in 1707

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Strikeout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strikeout. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

strikeout

1 of 2 noun
strike·​out ˈstrī-ˌkau̇t How to pronounce strikeout (audio)
: an out in baseball resulting from a batter's being charged with three strikes

strike out

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)strī-ˈkau̇t
1
: to enter upon a course of action
struck out on my own after graduation
2
: to make an out or cause to make an out in baseball by a strikeout
the shortstop struck out
the pitcher struck him out with a curve

More from Merriam-Webster on strikeout

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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