suicide squeeze
1
9.1
- noun
- /ˈsuːɪˌsaɪd skwiːz/
- Jargon
:
squeeze suicida
- In a suicide squeeze, the runner heads home as soon as the pitcher throws the ball.
Examples
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"The squeeze play (or suicide squeeze) is normally done with a runner on third base."
Academic text (2014) -
I thought for a second that Terry was thinking of a suicide squeeze, considering the Florida infield is prone to miscues.
Blog text (20) -
We're going to double steal, hit and run, and suicide squeeze.
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A suicide squeeze, and the Owls ar e on the scor eboard.
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In a suicide squeeze, the runner on third base races home as the pitcher delivers the ball.
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The team executed a perfect suicide squeeze to score the winning run in the final inning.
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During the game, the coach called for a suicide squeeze with a runner on third base.
Synonyms
A risky baseball play where the runner on third base runs home while the batter bunts
How Risky
Surface Forms
Morphology
suicide + squeeze
The parts 'suicide' (suggesting extreme risk) and 'squeeze' (linked to a 'squeeze play' in sports) give partial semantic clues that this is a high-risk, pressuring play. However, the exact mechanics—runner on third sprinting home while the batter bunts—are specialized baseball knowledge and not directly deducible by a B1 learner from the literal meanings, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Suicide squeeze comes from baseball and gives a strong picture: the word squeeze is the soft hit that 'squeezes' the runner toward home, and suicide shows how risky the move is because the runner breaks for home immediately. So, it means 'a very risky play' where the runner on third runs for home as the batter 'bunts', hoping the soft hit lets them score.