50 Idioms for Baseball with Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Baseball
1. Ballpark figure
Meaning: An approximate estimate.
In a Sentence: I don’t need the exact number, just a ballpark figure.
Other Ways to Say: Rough estimate, Approximation
2. Hit a home run
Meaning: To achieve great success.
In a Sentence: Sally hit a home run with her science project and won first place.
Other Ways to Say: Knock it out of the park, Score big
3. Out of left field
Meaning: Unexpected; surprising.
In a Sentence: The teacher’s pop quiz came out of left field and caught everyone off guard.
Other Ways to Say: Out of nowhere, From the blue
4. Step up to the plate
Meaning: To take responsibility or initiative.
In a Sentence: It’s time for you to step up to the plate and lead the team.
Other Ways to Say: Take charge, Take responsibility
5. Touch base
Meaning: To make contact or check in with someone.
In a Sentence: Let’s touch base next week to finalize the details.
Other Ways to Say: Check in, Follow up
6. Strike out
Meaning: To fail at something.
In a Sentence: He really struck out during the presentation; it didn’t go well.
Other Ways to Say: Fail, Miss the mark
7. On deck
Meaning: Next in line.
In a Sentence: You’re on deck for the next presentation, so be ready.
Other Ways to Say: Next up, In line
8. Go to bat for someone
Meaning: To defend or support someone.
In a Sentence: She really went to bat for him during the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Stand up for, Support
9. Throw a curveball
Meaning: To surprise someone with something unexpected.
In a Sentence: The interview threw me a curveball with an unusual question.
Other Ways to Say: Surprise, Catch off guard
10. In the ballpark
Meaning: Close to the correct amount or idea.
In a Sentence: Your guess is in the ballpark of the actual cost.
Other Ways to Say: Close estimate, Near enough
11. Cover all the bases
Meaning: To consider all aspects of something.
In a Sentence: The plan covers all the bases to avoid any surprises.
Other Ways to Say: Be thorough, Leave nothing out
12. Play hardball
Meaning: To act aggressively to achieve your goals.
In a Sentence: The company decided to play hardball in negotiations.
Other Ways to Say: Be tough, Take a firm stand
13. Big hitter
Meaning: A powerful or influential person.
In a Sentence: He’s a big hitter in the tech world.
Other Ways to Say: Power player, Influencer
14. Bat a thousand
Meaning: To be extremely successful.
In a Sentence: She’s batting a thousand with her project ideas.
Other Ways to Say: Perfect record, Total success
15. Three strikes and you’re out
Meaning: After a few chances, failure leads to consequences.
In a Sentence: This is your last warning—three strikes and you’re out.
Other Ways to Say: Final chance, No more chances
16. Call the shots
Meaning: To be in control or make decisions.
In a Sentence: In this company, she calls the shots.
Other Ways to Say: Be in charge, Make the decisions
17. Get to first base
Meaning: To make initial progress.
In a Sentence: He couldn’t even get to first base with his idea.
Other Ways to Say: Make a start, Begin
18. Off base
Meaning: Wrong or incorrect.
In a Sentence: His comment was way off base.
Other Ways to Say: Mistaken, Incorrect
19. Throw someone a curve
Meaning: To present an unexpected problem.
In a Sentence: Life threw me a curve when I lost my job.
Other Ways to Say: Surprise setback, Unexpected problem
20. Right off the bat
Meaning: Immediately.
In a Sentence: I knew I liked her right off the bat.
Other Ways to Say: Instantly, Straight away.
21. In a league of one’s own
Meaning: Far superior to others.
In a Sentence: When it comes to design, she’s in a league of her own.
Other Ways to Say: Exceptional, Standout
22. Grand slam
Meaning: A major success.
In a Sentence: Their latest product launch was a grand slam.
Other Ways to Say: Big win, Huge success
23. Keep your eye on the ball
Meaning: Stay focused.
In a Sentence: If you want to succeed, keep your eye on the ball.
Other Ways to Say: Stay alert, Remain focused
24. Foul play
Meaning: Dishonest behavior.
In a Sentence: The investigators suspected foul play in the deal.
Other Ways to Say: Dishonesty, Wrongdoing
25. Play ball
Meaning: Cooperate or agree.
In a Sentence: If we want this to work, you have to play ball.
Other Ways to Say: Cooperate, Go along
26. Out of someone’s league
Meaning: Too good or too impressive for someone to realistically attain.
In a Sentence: He wanted to date her, but she was clearly out of his league.
Other Ways to Say: Beyond reach, Too good for.
27. Go to bat for someone
Meaning: To support or defend someone.
In a Sentence: She really went to bat for me during the meeting with the boss.
Other Ways to Say: Stand up for, Defend.
28. In the big leagues
Meaning: Operating at the highest level of competition or success.
In a Sentence: After his promotion, he’s finally playing in the big leagues.
Other Ways to Say: Top level, Elite.
29. Step up to the plate
Meaning: To take responsibility or take action when needed.
In a Sentence: It’s time for you to step up to the plate and lead the project.
Other Ways to Say: Take charge, Rise to the occasion.
30. Big hitter
Meaning: A person who is very successful or influential.
In a Sentence: The company hired a big hitter to manage their new expansion.
Other Ways to Say: Heavyweight, Power player.
31. Hit it out of the park
Meaning: To do something exceptionally well.
In a Sentence: Her wedding speech really hit it out of the park.
Other Ways to Say: Nail it, Do amazingly.
32. In a slump
Meaning: Performing poorly for a period of time.
In a Sentence: The team has been in a slump for the past three games.
Other Ways to Say: In a rut, Not at your best.
33. Three strikes and you’re out
Meaning: You only have a limited number of chances before facing consequences.
In a Sentence: You’ve been late twice—remember, three strikes and you’re out.
Other Ways to Say: Final warning, Last chance.
34. Keep your eye on the ball
Meaning: Stay focused on the goal or task.
In a Sentence: To win this deal, you’ll need to keep your eye on the ball.
Other Ways to Say: Stay focused, Stay on track.
35. Swing for the fences
Meaning: To take a big risk in hopes of a big reward.
In a Sentence: He decided to swing for the fences and pitch his startup idea to investors.
Other Ways to Say: Take a leap, Go big.
36. On deck
Meaning: Next in line or next to take action.
In a Sentence: You’re on deck for the presentation, so be prepared.
Other Ways to Say: Up next, In line.
37. Throw a curveball
Meaning: To surprise someone with something unexpected.
In a Sentence: Life threw me a curveball when I least expected it.
Other Ways to Say: Surprise twist, Unexpected move.
38. Ballpark figure
Meaning: An approximate estimate.
In a Sentence: Can you give me a ballpark figure of how much the repairs will cost?
Other Ways to Say: Rough estimate, General idea.
39. Get to first base
Meaning: To make initial progress in a situation.
In a Sentence: I couldn’t even get to first base with that job interview.
Other Ways to Say: Make a start, Begin progress.
40. Touch base
Meaning: To make contact or communicate briefly.
In a Sentence: Let’s touch base tomorrow to finalize the report.
Other Ways to Say: Check in, Connect.
41. Hardball
Meaning: Using tough or aggressive tactics.
In a Sentence: The lawyer played hardball in the negotiations.
Other Ways to Say: Be firm, Use tough strategies.
42. Benchwarmer
Meaning: A player who rarely gets to play; someone not active.
In a Sentence: He spent most of the season as a benchwarmer.
Other Ways to Say: Reserve, Substitute.
43. Strike out
Meaning: To fail completely.
In a Sentence: I tried asking her out, but I totally struck out.
Other Ways to Say: Flop, Miss the mark.
44. Tag someone out
Meaning: To remove or eliminate someone from a situation.
In a Sentence: The manager tagged him out of the project due to delays.
Other Ways to Say: Remove, Replace.
45. Grand slam
Meaning: A complete or overwhelming success.
In a Sentence: The product launch was a grand slam.
Other Ways to Say: Huge success, Total win.
46. Extra innings
Meaning: Going beyond the expected or normal time to get a result.
In a Sentence: We had to work into extra innings to finish the report.
Other Ways to Say: Overtime, Extended effort.
47. Play ball
Meaning: To cooperate or go along with something.
In a Sentence: If you want this deal to go through, you’ll have to play ball.
Other Ways to Say: Cooperate, Join in.
48. On the ball
Meaning: Alert and competent.
In a Sentence: You’ve got to be on the ball during client calls.
Other Ways to Say: Sharp, Attentive.
49. Call the shots
Meaning: To be in control or make decisions.
In a Sentence: Ever since the promotion, she’s the one calling the shots.
Other Ways to Say: Be in charge, Take control.
50. Level playing field
Meaning: Fair and equal conditions for all.
In a Sentence: The new policy creates a level playing field for small businesses.
Other Ways to Say: Equal opportunity, Fair game.
