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.
Then Xander Bogaerts’ sharp line drive to center field found leather. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026 Wagaman cost the Mets a run in right field, getting to a line drive late and catching it on the ground for a single. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026 Hanks plays the pitching coach of a major league hurler whose life is upended when he is hit in the head by a line drive on the mound. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 1 July 2026 Butler went all out to field Lee’s fading line drive but couldn’t corral the ball on the dive, allowing three runs to score. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 25 June 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 8 Jul. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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