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Glite Dictionary
to go to bat for

to go to bat for

12 5.4
Support someone who is in trouble
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : defender a
  • During the meeting, she really went to bat for her team, defending their ideas passionately.
  • willing to go to bat for
  • ready to go to bat for
  • really go to bat for

You need someone to go to bat for you, someone who knows the kind of people who might buy your shares and can vouch for you.

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Examples

  • He went to bat for us.

    The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

  • I went to bat for you, Richie.

    Gun (2010)

  • I wanna thank you for going to bat for me last week.

    Vacation (2015)

  • You know, I went to bat for you.

    The Gift (2015)

  • Time and time and time again, I have gone to bat for you, Mark!

    The Big Short (2015)

  • We went to bat for you.

    The Apartment (1960)

  • You know the game better than most... and I'll always go to bat for you.

    Trouble with the Curve (2012)

  • Our union went to bat for her, and she got the back pay that she had earned.

    Blog text (13)

  • Democratic women have gone to bat for UN Ambassador Susan Rice, defending her against racist, sexist attacks by conservative Republican critics.

    Blog text (25)

  • In his email newsletter yesterday, angel investor Jason Calacanis discussed loyalty and how he goes to bat for the people who are loyal to him and his companies.

    Blog text (15)

Synonyms

to stand up for
vsto go to bat for
256 2.7

Defend or support someone who is treated unfairly

applies to difficult situations in general rather than only to criticism
to stick up
vsto go to bat for
  • Informal
59 4.3

To support someone when others criticize or attack them

is used to support in difficult situations beyond defending against attacks
to step up to the plate
vsto go to bat for
  • Informal
32 4.6

To take responsibility and act when a difficult situation happens

is about supporting or defending someone rather than taking responsibility or action
to get someone's back
vsto go to bat for
  • Informal
3 5.5

To help and protect someone when things are difficult

focuses on defending or arguing for someone rather than shielding them
to stand up with
vsto go to bat for
1 3.9

Support and defend other people who share a cause

focuses on individual support in hard times rather than joining causes
to go to the wall
vsto go to bat for
  • Informal
6.6

To stand up for someone when they are in trouble

is identical in meaning but uses a different phrasing
to take up the cudgel
vsto go to bat for
  • Archaic
8.9

Begin to strongly defend a person or cause in public

is similar but applies generally rather than being public or vigorous

Antonyms

to abandon
773 3.1

Leave someone or something behind permanently and without care

How Supportive

to fight
∞ 1.0
to go to bat for
  • Informal
12 5.4
to support
∞ 1.0
to help out
  • Informal
486 1.0

Surface Forms

go to bat for infinitive
going to bat for present participle
goes to bat for third person singular
went to bat for past
gone to bat for past participle

Morphology

go + to + bat + for

The phrase derives from a baseball metaphor (taking a turn at bat) so the connection between 'go' + 'bat' and 'support' is metaphorical and culturally specific; a B1 learner who knows the individual words is unlikely to infer the full meaning without exposure to the idiom. The preposition 'for' does hint at acting on someone’s behalf, giving a partial cue, so the expression is not fully opaque but also not transparently compositional.

Etymology

Go to bat for may come from baseball, where a player who goes to bat steps forward to take a turn and try to help the team. So, to go to bat for someone means to step up and 'support or defend' them.