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
Just the overall quality of that pitch, along with his curveball, just wasn’t up to his standard.
—
Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
On his 45th pitch, an errant curveball appeared to squirt out of the righty’s hand, causing pitching coach Ruben Niebla to stir in the dugout.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
But this one throws a total curveball.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2026
Scouts raved about his fastball — which sat 92-94 mph at the time — and his improving curveball and changeup combination.
—Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for curveball
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
On his 45th pitch, an errant curveball appeared to squirt out of the righty’s hand, causing pitching coach Ruben Niebla to stir in the dugout.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
But this one throws a total curveball.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2026
Scouts raved about his fastball — which sat 92-94 mph at the time — and his improving curveball and changeup combination.
—Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 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 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
