in the dirt
idiom
baseball, of a pitch
: having hit the ground near home plate before reaching the catcher
He swung and missed at a curveball in the dirt.
Examples of in the dirt in a Sentence
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Daisy Edgar-Jones spent the weekend tromping around Glastonbury in the most adorable pair of ankle-high Hunter rain boots to keep her feet dry in the mud, paired with an improbably white dress that wouldn’t last a day in the dirt.
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Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 30 June 2025
As usual, handling the environment and dimensions of Dodger Stadium will be key, from catchers preventing balls in the dirt from going to the backstop to outfielders making catches in the sun.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
Alex Verdugo, the runner on third, scored when catcher Luis Torrens failed to block a ball in the dirt and tried to field it using his mask.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
The rookie fell behind 0-2 before laying off a changeup in the dirt, and then when Rays starter Ryan Pepiot went to the changeup again, Anthony lined one down the left field line to put the Red Sox on top.
—Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2025
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Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 30 June 2025
As usual, handling the environment and dimensions of Dodger Stadium will be key, from catchers preventing balls in the dirt from going to the backstop to outfielders making catches in the sun.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
Alex Verdugo, the runner on third, scored when catcher Luis Torrens failed to block a ball in the dirt and tried to field it using his mask.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
The rookie fell behind 0-2 before laying off a changeup in the dirt, and then when Rays starter Ryan Pepiot went to the changeup again, Anthony lined one down the left field line to put the Red Sox on top.
—Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the dirt
Cite this Entry
“In the dirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20dirt. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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