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 The 50-50 club Miami Marlins pitcher Mike Baumann struck out Ohtani a day earlier, throwing fastballs early and then finishing him off with a curveball. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024 Then, a curveball: in August, the date of the first (and possibly only) Presidential Debate of the 2024 election cycle between Vice President Harris and former President Trump was announced to take place that same night. Rob Ledonne, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2024 That threat ended when backup catcher Curt Casali committed on his check swing on a Gallen curveball in the dirt. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 4 Sep. 2024 But as other funds work to invest in logistics, some find the industry has more curveballs than first meet the eye. Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for curveball 

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 6 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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