Which device is illustrated by the line 'I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then, it hit me'?

• A. Metaphor
• B. Pun
• C. Irony
• D. Paradox

Answer: (B)

This line centers on wordplay through a double meaning. The humor comes from using the word “hit” in two senses at once: the baseball actually strikes him, and the phrase “it hit me” is the common idiom for suddenly understanding something. The setup—wondering why the baseball was getting bigger—plays with anticipation, but the punchline reveals a literal impact, which makes the phrase “it hit me” punny because it fits both meanings at the same moment.

Metaphor would involve a direct comparison rather than a play on words, irony would hinge on an outcome that’s opposite to what’s expected, and a paradox would present a self-contradictory statement. None of those fit as cleanly as the pun, which is why this line lands as a pun.