1. Home
2. Idioms
3. go to bat for

go to bat for

---

---

go to bat for someone

Fig. to support or help someone. I tried to go to bat for Bill, but he said he didn't want any help. I heard them gossiping about Sally, so I went to bat for her.

See also: bat

go to bat for somebody/something

to give help or support to someone or something She's one of my closest friends in the world - I'd go to bat for her any day.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of go to bat (to position yourself to hit the ball in a baseball game)

See also: bat

go to bat for somebody

  (American & Australian)

to give help and support to someone who is in trouble, often by talking to someone else for them Give me some decent evidence and I'll go to bat for you.

See also: bat

go to bat for

Take the side of, support, defend. For example, Dad will always go to bat for his kids. This term originated in baseball, where it means simply substituting for another batter, but it is the idea of helping one's team in this way that has been transferred to more general use. [Slang; early 1900s]

See also: bat

go to bat for

To give assistance to; defend.

See also: bat