double play

American

[duhb-uhl pley] / ˈdʌb əl ˈpleɪ /

noun

Baseball.

a play of continuous fielding action in which two putouts are made. DP

double play British

noun

baseball a play in which two runners are put out

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of double play

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Broken bat, ground ball. Betts has it, steps on the bag, the throw to first — double play! From backs against the wall to back-to-back, the Dodgers cement their dynasty!”

From Los Angeles Times

From football’s mountaintop to the majestic peaks of Northern Italy, it’s an unprecedented double play in the broadcasting business.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s weird, but also as powerfully effective as, say, a double play fly ball to end a World Series game.

From Los Angeles Times

After the bunt, the Dodgers put Addison Barger on with a walk, setting up the double play, the Jays hit a ground ball, and well, you know the rest…Dodgers win.

From The Wall Street Journal

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Bets corralled the ball, stepped on second and fired it to first to complete the double play.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023