softball

noun

soft·​ball ˈsȯf(t)-ˌbȯl How to pronounce softball (audio)
1
: a sport similar to baseball played on a small diamond with a ball that is larger than a baseball and that is pitched underhand
also : the ball used in this game
2
: a question requiring only an easy or simple response
softballer
ˈsȯf(t)-ˌbȯ-lər How to pronounce softball (audio)
noun

Examples of softball in a Sentence

Do you want to play softball? All the questions in the interview were softballs.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Saturday’s doubleheader between Pebblebrook and Druid Hills softball would not seem to be billed as some headline event. — Hunter Delauder, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 One player, Tom Soare, described the vintage sport as a cross between a softball game and a Civil War reenactment. — Kelenna Onukwugha, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026 The 45-acre recreational facility, which opened in 2004, boasts eight softball fields overlaid with seven soccer fields, batting cages and two playgrounds. — Claire Wang, Oc Register, 27 Aug. 2026 Simpson even took the emcee’s mic at Love’s charity softball game in June to trash his quarterback’s ping-pong skills. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for softball

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of softball was in 1867

Rhymes for softball

See All Rhymes for softball

Browse Nearby Words

softback
softball
soft-bill
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Softball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/softball. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

softball

noun
soft·​ball ˈsȯf(t)-ˌbȯl How to pronounce softball (audio)
: baseball played on a small diamond with a ball that is larger than a baseball and that is pitched underhand
also : the ball used in this game

More from Merriam-Webster on softball

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about softball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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