on base
idiom
baseball
: occupying one of the bases (first, second, or third) during a game
There's a runner on base.
Examples of on base in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Dodgers left 1,143 men on base this season (second-most in MLB), while the Yankees left 1,141 (third-most).
—
Giovanni Malloy, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Yankees pitcher Tommy Kahnle allowed two runners on base but got Rocchio to ground out to end the game.
—Homero De La Fuente, CNN, 19 Oct. 2024
Ohtani was hitless in his previous 22 at-bats without runners on base.
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024
These surely include the outcomes of many previous games that had identical scores, innings, and runners on base, but the company hasn’t shared what all is factored in.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for on base 
Giovanni Malloy, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Yankees pitcher Tommy Kahnle allowed two runners on base but got Rocchio to ground out to end the game.
—Homero De La Fuente, CNN, 19 Oct. 2024
Ohtani was hitless in his previous 22 at-bats without runners on base.
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024
These surely include the outcomes of many previous games that had identical scores, innings, and runners on base, but the company hasn’t shared what all is factored in.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for on base
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on base.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near on base
Cite this Entry
“On base.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20base. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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