curveball

noun curve·ball \ ˈkərv-ˌbȯl \

Definition of curveball

: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

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curveball

verb

See curveball defined for English-language learners

Examples of curveball in a Sentence

The batter struck out on a curveball.

Recent Examples of curveball from the Web

Brandon Belt went on the 7-day concussion disabled list after being hit in the head with a 78-mph curveball on Friday, which led the Giants to call up Sandoval #SFGiants roster moves: Brandon Belt placed on the 7-day concussion DL.

— thomas oide, sacbee, "Here comes Kung Fu Panda: Pablo Sandoval called up to Giants’ 25-man roster," 5 Aug. 2017
Even with the unexpected curveball, the producers, network, and studio are said to be satisfied with the natural story point and the last episode will serve as a compelling season finale.

— derek lawrence, PEOPLE.com, "Shooter Season 2 Cut Short After Ryan Phillippe Broke His Leg in a 'Freak Accident'," 27 July 2017
Perez opened the inning by yanking a first-pitch curveball into left field.

— rustin dodd, kansascity, "Royals avoid disaster, walk off against the Tigers in 4-3 victory," 19 July 2017
Robertson doesn’t throw hard, averaging a relatively light 92 mph on his four-seam fastball, but the 32-year-old Alabama product uses a darting changeup and hard curveball to keep opponents off balance and rack up strikeouts.

— jon tayler, SI.com, "Yankees cash in for postseason run as White Sox accrue more top prospects in trade," 19 July 2017
Eduardo Escobar tacked on an RBI single before Sano crushed an 0-2 curveball that hung over the plate into the bullpen for a 6-0 lead.

— dave campbell, chicagotribune.com, "Todd Frazier strikes out, Tommy Kahnle pitches perfect inning in Yankees debuts," 19 July 2017
Did Mara and Bell pull a Britney and K-Fed-style curveball and literally throw a surprise wedding?

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "Kate Mara and Jamie Bell Just Had a Surprise Wedding Ceremony," 17 July 2017
The report mentions one final curveball: the 2nd-gen Pixel XL will be squeezable, just like the HTC U 11.

— ron amadeo, Ars Technica, "Google Pixel 2 leak shows slimmer bezels, huge camera lens, squeezable sides," 11 July 2017
On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Brantley jumped on a full count curveball for an RBI double to right-centerfield.

— anthony fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Tigers' offense, stifled again, lets down Verlander in 4-0 loss in Cleveland," 9 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'curveball.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of curveball

1936

CURVEBALL Defined for English Language Learners

curveball

noun

Definition of curveball for English Language Learners

baseball : a pitch that is thrown with spin so that the ball curves in the air

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curveball

Definition of curveball

curveball

Examples of curveball in a Sentence

Recent Examples of curveball from the Web

First Known Use of curveball

CURVEBALL Defined for English Language Learners

curveball

Definition of curveball for English Language Learners

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curveball

Definition of curveball

curveball

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curveball

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