What is the Meaning of the Phrase ‘Right Off the Bat’?

Right off the bat means —

• immediately;
• from the very start;
• at once;
• without delay.

This phrase comes from baseball and alludes to a ball leaving the bat. It conveys the notion that something is done as quickly as a ball leaves the bat after being hit by it.

Let’s see an example —

‘Right off the bat, I knew the plan would fail.’

I knew immediately that the plan would fail.

I hope you understand the example. This phrase is sometimes also used as ‘Straight off the bat’.

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Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.