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
Cameron utilized all his pitches, but saw an uptick in velocity with his curveball.
—
Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2026
At the gala, Shepherd will celebrate the Gulf, but with a little bit of a curveball, opting to show off the great beef raised in the region instead of the seafood its known for.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 24 Apr. 2026
And the next inning, a curveball would feel good.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
The fact that the cosmos is serving us with one final, fabulous curveball should be more than enough to get your attention!
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 23 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.
Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2026
At the gala, Shepherd will celebrate the Gulf, but with a little bit of a curveball, opting to show off the great beef raised in the region instead of the seafood its known for.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 24 Apr. 2026
And the next inning, a curveball would feel good.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
The fact that the cosmos is serving us with one final, fabulous curveball should be more than enough to get your attention!
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 23 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 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
