curveball

noun

curve·​ball ˈkərv-ˌbȯl How to pronounce curveball (audio)
: a slow or moderately fast baseball pitch thrown with spin to make it swerve downward and usually to the left when thrown from the right hand or to the right when thrown from the left hand
curveball verb

Examples of curveball in a Sentence

The batter struck out on a curveball.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rushing’s second homer, off a low curveball in the eighth, capped his statement game. Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026 Glasnow’s curveball was particularly effective, getting eight of his 12 swings-and-misses. Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026 The biggest curveball buyers faced was the resumption of hostilities with Iran, which responded by limiting tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026 This deal feels like hitting a curveball right out of the park! Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for curveball

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of curveball was in 1936

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Curveball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curveball. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

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