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
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.
This curveball makes for some startling imagery, but doesn’t emerge from any particular circumstance of this dystopian scenario, and doesn’t illuminate anything about it either. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026 If all of this wasn’t enough to process, Furious throws us one final curveball at the conclusion of the episode. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026 Detmers got swings and misses with all four of his pitches – fastball, curveball, slider and changeup – and earned 18 swings and misses overall, his second-most this season. — Kyle Glaser, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2026 The 35-year-old missed with a looping, 72-mph curveball on the first pitch in their third matchup. — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for curveball

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of curveball was in 1936

Phrases Containing curveball

Rhymes for curveball

See All Rhymes for curveball

Browse Nearby Words

curve
curveball
curve-billed thrasher
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Curveball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curveball. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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