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.
For example, his curveball went from 79.3 mph to 81.2 mph. Will Sammon, New York Times, 11 July 2025 Rehearse your key points out loud, anticipate curveball questions, and get comfortable in the pressure zone. Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 7 July 2025 When Clayton Kershaw made his major league debut as a gangly 20-year-old with a devastating curveball, he was considered a one-in-a-million talent. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025 When the game resumed, Kershaw threw a curveball out of the zone for a ball before getting a swinging strike on a slider. Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Curveball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curveball. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!