at bat

noun

plural at bats

baseball

: a turn at batting

had three hits in five at bats

Note: For the purposes of calculating a player's batting average and slugging percentage, an official at bat is charged for each turn at batting except when the player walks, hits a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly, is hit by a pitched ball, or is interfered with by the catcher.

Examples of at bat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the face of decreasing access to buyers, sales organizations often increase the volume of their sales outreach, hoping that more times at bat will result in more hits. —Ian Gross, Harvard Business Review, 13 Feb. 2025

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat during the World Series against the New York Yankees. —David K. Li, NBC News, 6 Feb. 2025

Also at bat is retinoid oleyl adapalenate—a precursor to adapalane, an ingredient known to treat cystic acne—which is gentle on the skin and frequently used to treat clogged pores. —Sarah Han, Allure, 29 Jan. 2025

The Venezuelan infielder hit .300 last season in 283 at bats with six home runs and 30 RBI. —Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for at bat

• begat
• bobcat
• chitchat
• doormat
• ducat
• eclat
• format
• hazmat
• muskrat
• nonfat
• polecat
• thereat