bullpen
noun
bull·pen
ˈbu̇l-ˌpen 
also ˈbəl-
variants
or less commonly bull pen
plural bullpens also bull pens
1
: a large cell where prisoners are detained until brought into court
Commonly called the "bullpen," the court lockup is behind the courtroom and is used as a holding area for prisoners …—
Bruce A. Scruton
Bruce A. Scruton2
a
: a place on a baseball field where pitchers warm up before they start pitching
In the bullpen, Goose Gossage is warming up.—Tony Scherman
Tony Scherman
b
: the relief pitchers of a baseball team
After five innings Seattle led 14-2 and, with baseball's best bullpen waiting to protect the lead should starter Aaron Sele falter …—Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated3
: an open work area not divided into offices
… an alternative to the traditional combination of private offices for the brass and bullpens for the workers.—Carl Ruff
Carl RuffExamples of bullpen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That unearned score, coupled with stellar pitching out of the bullpen, was enough to win it for the A’s on Saturday.
—Sacbee.com, 13 July 2025
Those staffing issues are in conjunction with Colorado being behind in overall technology, according to bullpen coach Dustin Garneau.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 12 July 2025
Aroldis Chapman was barely stirring in the bullpen.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 12 July 2025
During his time the Nationals have never had a very good bullpen — even the 2019 championship team had one of the worst bullpens in the majors with closer Sean Doolittle posting 4.05 ERA — and this year the Nationals’ bullpen ERA of 5.79 ranks last in the majors.
—Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 12 July 2025
At times, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver have looked like a dominant duo at the backend of the bullpen.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Adam is tied for the MLB lead with 46 appearances, has a sparkling 1.74 ERA and was a bit of a surprise selection on Sunday if the Padres were only going to get one reliever from baseball’s second-best bullpen (3.28 ERA) into the All-Star Game.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2025
Tyler Phillips worked two scoreless innings out of Miami’s bullpen.
—Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
Detmers would need two to three weeks to build up enough endurance to throw four or five innings, and the left-hander has become such a valuable reliever, with a 22-inning scoreless streak that was snapped Wednesday night, that his loss would leave a gaping hole in the bullpen.
—Mike Digiovanna, Oc Register, 11 July 2025
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Sacbee.com, 13 July 2025
Those staffing issues are in conjunction with Colorado being behind in overall technology, according to bullpen coach Dustin Garneau.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 12 July 2025
Aroldis Chapman was barely stirring in the bullpen.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 12 July 2025
During his time the Nationals have never had a very good bullpen — even the 2019 championship team had one of the worst bullpens in the majors with closer Sean Doolittle posting 4.05 ERA — and this year the Nationals’ bullpen ERA of 5.79 ranks last in the majors.
—Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 12 July 2025
At times, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver have looked like a dominant duo at the backend of the bullpen.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Adam is tied for the MLB lead with 46 appearances, has a sparkling 1.74 ERA and was a bit of a surprise selection on Sunday if the Padres were only going to get one reliever from baseball’s second-best bullpen (3.28 ERA) into the All-Star Game.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2025
Tyler Phillips worked two scoreless innings out of Miami’s bullpen.
—Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
Detmers would need two to three weeks to build up enough endurance to throw four or five innings, and the left-hander has become such a valuable reliever, with a 22-inning scoreless streak that was snapped Wednesday night, that his loss would leave a gaping hole in the bullpen.
—Mike Digiovanna, Oc Register, 11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bullpen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bullpen. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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