If someone or something touches all the bases or touches all bases, they deal with or include all the different things that they should. His speech was short but he touched all the bases. The simple menu touches all bases: meat, fish, poultry and pasta. Note: You can also say that someone or something covers all the bases or covers all bases. The boss covers all bases when he sets up a job. Note: In baseball, batters have to touch the first, second, and third bases to score a run.