left field

noun

1
: the position of the player defending left field
2
: the part of the baseball outfield to the left looking out from the plate
3
a
: a state or position far from the mainstream (as of prevailing opinion)
they were really out in left field with that idea
b
: a source of the unexpected or illogical
that question came out of left field
left fielder noun

Examples of left field in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Initial reactions aside, their wedding wasn’t entirely out of left field. Shania Russell, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024 Eight-hole hitter Wyatt Peifer brought them both home with a double to left field, ending Molina's outing. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 19 Feb. 2024 Herrera, who made his MLB debut last season with the St. Louis Cardinals, ambushed a first-pitch cutter over the heart of the plate from Curacao’s Cody Mincey and sent it 384 feet to left field to give Panama the lead for good. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2024 Players such as freshman Mattea Stern, who is expected to play left field and bat leadoff, and second baseman Malia Cuevas, a transfer from Los Alamitos. Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 7 Feb. 2024 Aloy hit a third-inning grand slam deep over the wall in left field and Ben McLaughlin followed with a three-run shot as the Razorbacks overcame a two-run deficit with a seven-run inning then held on for a 9-7 win over the University of Central Arkansas on Tuesday. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 6 Mar. 2024 He is expected to start in left field after the Royals signed Hunter Renfroe in free agency. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2024 Patrick Bailey followed with a walk, and J.D. Davis cleared the bases with his second home run of the spring, sending a 2-2 breaking ball onto the berm in left field. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 De La Cruz also did his part defensively in left field, making a sliding grab in the bottom of the second inning on a Willson Contreras line drive and starting a relay throw later in the inning that resulted in Alec Burleson being tagged out at home. Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of left field was in 1857

Dictionary Entries Near left field

Cite this Entry

“Left field.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/left%20field. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

left field

noun
1
: the part of the baseball outfield to the left looking out from home plate
2
: the position of the player defending left field
left fielder noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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