line drive

noun

: a batted baseball hit in a nearly straight line usually not far above the ground

Examples of line drive in a Sentence

He hit a hard line drive to the shortstop.
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.
Yelich smoked a line drive right at Tampa Bay first baseman Jonathan Aranda, who took the ball to the bag to end the Brewers’ rally and hold Milwaukee to just one run in the inning. — Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026 Caminero came up with a runner at first and nobody out, crushing a line drive to left that hit the foul pole for a two-run homer. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio, sprinting toward the warning track, had to leap to reel in Kiké Hernández’s line drive in the gap. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Heller wrote the script for adaptation, which tells of the relationship between a pitching coach (Hanks) for the New York Mets and his pitcher (Turner) who gets hit by a line drive while on the mound. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for line drive

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of line drive was in 1903

Rhymes for line drive

See All Rhymes for line drive

Browse Nearby Words

line drawing
line drive
line drop
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Line drive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/line%20drive. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

line drive

noun
: a batted baseball hit not far above the ground in a nearly straight line

More from Merriam-Webster on line drive

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about line drive

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