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

For example, his curveball went from 79.3 mph to 81.2 mph. —Will Sammon, New York Times, 11 July 2025

Rehearse your key points out loud, anticipate curveball questions, and get comfortable in the pressure zone. —Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 7 July 2025

When Clayton Kershaw made his major league debut as a gangly 20-year-old with a devastating curveball, he was considered a one-in-a-million talent. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025

When the game resumed, Kershaw threw a curveball out of the zone for a ball before getting a swinging strike on a slider. —Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing curveball

• throw (someone) a curve/curveball

Rhymes for curveball

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• catarrhal
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol