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
The hulking right-hander regularly throws four other pitches, including a sweeper and a curveball that have been effective putaway weapons this year.
—
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Be aware that a parent, boss or someone in authority might throw you a curveball.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
However, McCullers does still require a functioning right index finger to throw a curveball.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 7 May 2026
The next at-bat, second baseman Michael Massey smashed a Gavin Williams curveball 392 feet into the right field stands to take a 4-3 lead.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for curveball
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Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Be aware that a parent, boss or someone in authority might throw you a curveball.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
However, McCullers does still require a functioning right index finger to throw a curveball.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 7 May 2026
The next at-bat, second baseman Michael Massey smashed a Gavin Williams curveball 392 feet into the right field stands to take a 4-3 lead.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for curveball
Cite this Entry
“Curveball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curveball. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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