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
Thompson’s first pitch to Hernandez was a hanging curveball and Hernandez sent it on a 370-foot journey into the left field pavilion for a three-run homer.
—
Bill Plunkett, Orange County Register, 30 Mar. 2024
While some installments tackled the basics like cooking supplies, automobiles, and food, others threw curveballs such as dissecting the inner workings of 3-D commercial signs, false teeth, cuckoo clocks, and more.
—Briana Richert, James Mercadante, EW.com, 19 Feb. 2024
The curveball caused Crenshaw’s body dysmorphia to reappear.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
And what about that final curveball when Daisy turned down the role of The Bachelorette, and Jenn Tran was instead chosen to be the next leading lady?
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 26 Mar. 2024
His changeup, which accounted for only 5% of his pitches in 2022, jumped to 18.4% and his curveball from 15.1% to 19.8%.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
Last season, McArthur registered a 35.3% whiff rate with his curveball, per Baseball Savant.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024
Night tennis in the desert is, with an occasional weather curveball, appealing.
—Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024
On Monday, for example, Perez experimented with a new grip on his curveball that results in a lower velocity but more movement to complement the rest of his arsenal.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024
Bill Plunkett, Orange County Register, 30 Mar. 2024
While some installments tackled the basics like cooking supplies, automobiles, and food, others threw curveballs such as dissecting the inner workings of 3-D commercial signs, false teeth, cuckoo clocks, and more.
—Briana Richert, James Mercadante, EW.com, 19 Feb. 2024
The curveball caused Crenshaw’s body dysmorphia to reappear.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
And what about that final curveball when Daisy turned down the role of The Bachelorette, and Jenn Tran was instead chosen to be the next leading lady?
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 26 Mar. 2024
His changeup, which accounted for only 5% of his pitches in 2022, jumped to 18.4% and his curveball from 15.1% to 19.8%.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
Last season, McArthur registered a 35.3% whiff rate with his curveball, per Baseball Savant.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024
Night tennis in the desert is, with an occasional weather curveball, appealing.
—Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024
On Monday, for example, Perez experimented with a new grip on his curveball that results in a lower velocity but more movement to complement the rest of his arsenal.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024
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.
Word History
First Known Use
1936, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing curveball
Articles Related to curveball
Dictionary Entries Near curveball
Cite this Entry
“Curveball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curveball. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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