bunt

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: the middle part of a square sail
b
: the part of a furled sail gathered up in a bunch at the center of the yard
2
: the bagging part of a fishing net

bunt

2 of 4

verb

bunted; bunting; bunts

transitive verb

1
: to strike or push with or as if with the head : butt
2
: to push or tap (a baseball) lightly with a bat without swinging

intransitive verb

: to bunt a baseball
bunter noun

bunt

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
: an act or instance of bunting
2
: a bunted ball

bunt

4 of 4

noun (3)

: a destructive covered smut of wheat caused by a fungus (genus Tilletia)

Examples of bunt in a Sentence

Verb The batter bunted for a single. He bunted the ball toward third base.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Peifer laid a clever bunt down the third-base line and just beat Peyton Holt's throw to the bag. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 19 Feb. 2024 On Monday, the lead disappeared in the fifth when Andrew Heaney couldn’t execute a big pitch (more in a moment) or a big fielding play, throwing wildly to first on Jose Altuve’s swinging bunt. Evan Grant, Dallas News, 4 Sep. 2023 The franchise of Ruth and Gehrig and Mantle and Jackson and Judge was going to emphasize the bunt. Jorge Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023 In the sixth, James McCann laid down a perfect safety squeeze bunt — one of many elegant bunts from the 33-year-old catcher this year — to score Cedric Mullins, who stole two bases for the first time since opening day. Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 20 Sep. 2023 The Padres loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth on Soto’s double, Machado’s single and Bogaerts’ walk, but Lynn minimized damage by retiring Trent Grisham on an RBI fielder’s choice (a bunt to third), Matthew Batten on a fly to right and Brett Sullivan on a fly to left. Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023 Catcher Gary Sanchez fielded a bunt and threw out extra-innings runner Bryson Stott at third in the 11th. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 July 2023 Why Las Vegas feels true blue Oct. 9, 2023 The Diamondbacks led off the game with a walk, a bunt single, then a line drive single to load the bases. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023 After Connor Queenan’s bunt out and Curtis’s fly out to left field, Smithfield scored two more runs in the third. Carlos R. Muñoz, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Aug. 2023
Verb
With the game tied at 8 in the eighth and UM runner Dorian Gonzalez Jr. on first, Lucas Costello bunted to third. Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 Kiner-Falefa bunted on his own, a decision Boone defended. Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2023 The fact that Hyde even gave Frazier the option to bunt is evidence of the dominance of Baltimore’s closer and the trust his skipper has in him. Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 20 July 2023 Johnson started running for home when Marek Houston bunted to the right side. Eric Olson, ajc, 23 June 2023 In the top of the 11th, Eden Jessie hit a leadoff single and was bunted to second. Caleb Wiegandt, The Courier-Journal, 3 June 2023 Here's a video of Alek Manoah trying to blow a Jeremy Peña bunt foul. Ian Harrison, BostonGlobe.com, 5 June 2023 Mason Neville bunted him over to third base and Cali scampered home on a wild pitch to increase the Hogs' lead to 5-2. Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 6 May 2023 Mateo, who has struggled bunting all season, did so again Tuesday, failing to lay down either of his attempts, eventually popping out in foul territory. Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 22 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bunt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps from Low German, bundle, from Middle Low German; akin to Old English byndel bundle

Verb

alteration of butt

Noun (3)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1584, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1767, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

circa 1790, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bunt was circa 1582

Dictionary Entries Near bunt

Cite this Entry

“Bunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bunt. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bunt

verb
ˈbənt
1
: to strike or push with the horns or head : butt
2
: to push or tap a baseball lightly without swinging the bat
bunt noun
bunter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on bunt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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