CEFR C1

passed ball

noun phrase

Meaning

An error in baseball where the catcher fails to hold a pitch that should have been caught with ordinary effort, allowing a base runner to advance or the batter to reach base on a third strike.

Examples

The catcher's passed ball allowed the runner on third to score easily.
It was a crucial passed ball in the bottom of the ninth, costing them the game.

Synonyms: mishap, error, blunder

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passed ball (C1)

noun phrase

Pronunciation: /pæst bɔːl/

Definition

An error in baseball where the catcher fails to hold a pitch that should have been caught with ordinary effort, allowing a base runner to advance or the batter to reach base on a third strike.

Examples

The catcher's passed ball allowed the runner on third to score easily.
It was a crucial passed ball in the bottom of the ninth, costing them the game.

How to Use passed ball

a passed ball allows (collocation): describes the consequence of a passed ball — "A passed ball often allows runners to advance to the next base."
charge a passed ball (collocation): to officially attribute a passed ball to a catcher — "The official scorer decided to charge a passed ball to the rookie catcher."

Synonyms of passed ball

Words with a similar meaning to passed ball:

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