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
Fitzgerald advanced from second to third on Jung Hoo Lee’s one-out groundout, then dashed home with ease when catcher Sean Murphy couldn’t corral Johnson’s 1-2 curveball to Wilmer Flores, giving the Giants their third straight win.
—
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
But, barring a late curveball, all signs point to that exhaustive search being done within a matter of days, if not hours.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 2 June 2025
Ask a friend to quiz you with curveballs, or record yourself answering with no script to show what comes naturally.
—Andrew Fennell, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
After Xander Bogaerts was intentionally walked, Gibson bounced a 2-2 curveball to Jake Cronenworth that caromed to catcher Nick Fortes’ left.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for curveball
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Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
But, barring a late curveball, all signs point to that exhaustive search being done within a matter of days, if not hours.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 2 June 2025
Ask a friend to quiz you with curveballs, or record yourself answering with no script to show what comes naturally.
—Andrew Fennell, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
After Xander Bogaerts was intentionally walked, Gibson bounced a 2-2 curveball to Jake Cronenworth that caromed to catcher Nick Fortes’ left.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for curveball
Cite this Entry
“Curveball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curveball. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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