shortstop

1 of 2

noun (1)

short·​stop ˈshȯrt-ˌstäp How to pronounce shortstop (audio)
1
: the player position in baseball for defending the infield area on the third-base side of second base
2
: the player stationed in the shortstop position

short-stop

2 of 2

noun (2)

Examples of shortstop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
But playing shortstop in the big leagues at an elite level is incredibly difficult. Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025 Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy sang the praises of Los Angeles Dodgers' shortstop Mookie Betts, who had one of the worst stretches of his career during the regular season, but the former MVP is getting hot at the right time. Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 But three days after Bichette’s post-clinch proclamation, the shortstop’s status for the ALCS remains uncertain. Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025 The Marlins eyeballed and acquired several under-the-radar success stories in the past year, including shortstop Otto Lopez, outfielder Heriberto Hernandez and pitcher Janson Junk, all of whom were significant contributors. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shortstop

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shortstop was in 1857

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Cite this Entry

“Shortstop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shortstop. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

shortstop

noun
short·​stop ˈshȯrt-ˌstäp How to pronounce shortstop (audio)
: the baseball infielder whose position is between second and third base

More from Merriam-Webster on shortstop

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