curveball

noun

curve·​ball ˈkərv-ˌbȯl How to pronounce curveball (audio)
: 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 His arsenal includes a curveball, sinker, slider and cutter. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024 Beyond the fastball, all three of Cabrera’s secondary pitches induced whiff rates of at least 30 percent last season: His curveball (38 percent), changeup (36.3 percent) and slider (30.6 percent). Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 The new release is a jolt of energy and a boost to the senses, but more than a pick me up, Real Vibes Only is an honest story about parenting, running a business, and navigating the curveballs life throws your way. Sacramento Bee, 13 Feb. 2024 While some answers were as predictable as Tom Sandoval’s choice of nail polish, there were definitely a few curveballs that caught us off guard. Clayton Davis, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024 But the next curveball corporates face – a new stream of new sustainability requirements – may be one of the toughest challenges many businesses have dealt with to date. Laura Clayton McDonnell, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Ott, who also has a 75 mph curveball, tallied a 2.02 ERA in 55 innings pitched last season. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Feb. 2024 Weathers a two-seam fastball, Andrew Nardi a splitter and Luzardo a curveball. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2024 Thirty minutes into Godzilla Minus One, the 33rd film in Japan’s most famous movie series and the first to be nominated for an Oscar, the writer-director Takashi Yamazaki throws the equivalent of a historical-revisionist curveball. Roland Kelts, The Atlantic, 11 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

Time Traveler
The first known use of curveball was in 1936

Dictionary Entries Near curveball

Cite this Entry

“Curveball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curveball. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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