1
a
: a division of a baseball game consisting of a turn at bat for each team
also
: a baseball team's turn at bat ending with the third out
b
innings
ˈi-niŋz 
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: a division of a cricket match
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: a division of a cricket match
c
: a player's turn (as in horseshoes, pool, or croquet)
2
: a chance or opportunity for action or accomplishment
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
that momentous innings which was to project him into world politics—
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)Examples of inning in a Sentence
She hit a double in the fourth inning.
Recent Examples on the Web
Senior third baseman Holly Smith provided some stellar defense in the third inning, charging a grounder on the line, scooping the ball up and flipping it to Sujack out of her glove all in one motion for the third out on a force play at the plate.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
Esquivel gave up a single in the third inning, and Grapevine head coach Jimmy Webster turned to senior Benjamin Chen.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 June 2025
Marcelo Mayer gave the Red Sox a spark in the fifth inning with his first career home run to put Boston on the board.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Both teams went on to add one run each in the fifth inning.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inning
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Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
Esquivel gave up a single in the third inning, and Grapevine head coach Jimmy Webster turned to senior Benjamin Chen.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 June 2025
Marcelo Mayer gave the Red Sox a spark in the fifth inning with his first career home run to put Boston on the board.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Both teams went on to add one run each in the fifth inning.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inning
Cite this Entry
“Inning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inning. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inning
noun
in·ning
ˈin-iŋ
: a division of a baseball game consisting of a turn at bat for each team
also
: a baseball team's turn at bat
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