inning

noun

in·​ning ˈi-niŋ 

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

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)

Examples of inning in a Sentence

She hit a double in the fourth inning.

Recent Examples on the Web

Alex Freeland ended the Dodgers’ homerless streak at six games with an opposite-field shot into the Crawford boxes in the second inning. —Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2026

The Mets won the series-opener 4-2, using that big sixth inning, two openers in front of David Peterson, and four innings from the lefty who calls the Denver area home. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 5 May 2026

Nicole, a senior infielder, came up in the 12th inning with a runner on third and two outs. —Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2026

Footage from the seventh inning of the game shows Saarloos shouting at officials after a video review on a defensive out was upheld. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

in entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1735, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing inning

• the seventh-inning stretch

Rhymes for inning

• binning
• dinning
• ginning
• grinning
• pinning
• sinning
• skinning
• spinning
• thinning
• tinning
• twinning
• winning

Kids 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