curveball
noun
curve·ball
ˈkərv-ˌbȯl 
: 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
He’s got a fastball, he’s got a curveball, he’s got a slider, he’s got a changeup and a cutter.
—
Kevin Flaherty, Kansas City Star, 2 June 2024
Prior to his exit, Snell had limited the Yankees to one run — the no-doubter from Soto — and struck out seven while keeping opposing batters off balance with a mid-90s fastball and a big breaking curveball.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 2 June 2024
The one in the strike zone that was an issue came three pitches later when Jose Ramirez hit a 3-2 curveball into the seats in right field for a 4-0 lead.
—Doug Padilla, Orange County Register, 26 May 2024
FedEx says a more efficient and intelligent network will be able to better handle curveballs like severe weather, by shifting volume within the various business units when storms hit.
—John Kell, Fortune, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for curveball 
Kevin Flaherty, Kansas City Star, 2 June 2024
Prior to his exit, Snell had limited the Yankees to one run — the no-doubter from Soto — and struck out seven while keeping opposing batters off balance with a mid-90s fastball and a big breaking curveball.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 2 June 2024
The one in the strike zone that was an issue came three pitches later when Jose Ramirez hit a 3-2 curveball into the seats in right field for a 4-0 lead.
—Doug Padilla, Orange County Register, 26 May 2024
FedEx says a more efficient and intelligent network will be able to better handle curveballs like severe weather, by shifting volume within the various business units when storms hit.
—John Kell, Fortune, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for curveball
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curveball.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Curveball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curveball. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
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