Definition

Noun: A competitive sport played between two teams of nine players each, where the primary objective is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and advancing around four bases arranged in a diamond shape. The game consists of nine innings, with teams alternating between batting (offense) and fielding (defense).

Usage

The term "baseball game" refers to a single, complete contest or match of baseball. It is used to describe the event itself, from its start to its conclusion.

Examples: - We bought tickets to watch the baseball game on Friday night. - The children organized a baseball game in the park. - The rain delay postponed the baseball game until the next day.

Advanced Usage

• "to take in a baseball game": To attend a baseball game as a spectator.
  • We decided to take in a baseball game during our trip to the city.
• "a tight baseball game": A game where the score is very close and competitive.
  • It was a tight baseball game, decided by a single run in the final inning.

Variants and Related Words

• Baseball (n): The sport itself, or the ball used in the game. Often used interchangeably with "baseball game" in casual conversation (e.g., "Let's play baseball").
• Ballgame (n): A general term for any game played with a ball, which can include baseball. In American English, "ballgame" is often synonymous with a baseball game.
• Game (n): The broader category; a "baseball game" is a specific type of game.

Synonyms

• Ball game (especially in the context of professional sports)
• Contest
• Match (less common in American English for baseball)

Related Phrases

• "Play ball!": The traditional call to start a baseball game.
  • The umpire yelled, "Play ball!" and the game began.
• "The seventh-inning stretch": A tradition during a baseball game where spectators stand and stretch in the middle of the seventh inning.
  • Everyone sang during the seventh-inning stretch of the baseball game.

Notes on Meaning

The term specifically denotes the structured sporting event. It is not used to refer to casual, informal play without organized teams and innings; that activity is more simply called "playing baseball" or "a game of catch."

Noun

1. a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs
   • he played baseball in high school
   • there was a baseball game on every empty lot
   • there was a desire for National League ball in the area
   • play ball!