bottom of the ninth
10
7.4
- noun
- /ˈbɑːtəm əv ðə naɪnθ/
- Informal
:
parte baja de la novena
- With two outs and the score tied, it was the bottom of the ninth and the game hung in the balance.
- homer in the bottom of the ninth
- run in the bottom of the ninth
- rally in the bottom of the ninth
Examples
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It was the bottom of the ninth.
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The game went to the bottom of the ninth with the Cubs down by three.
Blog text (6) -
- It's a full count, bottom of the ninth.
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That brings us to the bottom of the ninth.
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It's the bottom of the ninth.
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We got two guys on, it's the bottom of the ninth, one out.
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It's bottom of the ninth!
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"We were trying to hit the home run in the bottom of the ninth and almost did it.
Blog text (18) -
It was the All-State High School Championship game... bottom of the ninth, two outs.
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However, Houston scrappily clawed back, and in the bottom of the ninth tied the game at 4-4 when Jose Altuve doubled in Lucas Harrell.
Blog text (15)
Synonyms
13
5.9
The last part of a game or activity
Antonyms
How Late
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal pieces 'bottom' (lower half) and 'ninth' (the ninth) do combine to give a plausible literal meaning within the structure of innings, so there is a visible compositional link. However, understanding the full sense — that this is the home team's half of the final inning and therefore a 'last chance' — requires specific cultural/sports knowledge (baseball) and the conventionalized metaphorical use, so the meaning is not fully predictable from the words alone.
Etymology
Bottom of the ninth comes from baseball: the ninth is the last part of the game and the bottom is the second half of that part when the home team gets one more turn to bat and can win at the very end. So people use it to mean a 'final chance' to change the result.