breaking ball

American

[brey-king bawl] / ˈbreɪ kɪŋ ˈbɔl /

noun

Baseball.

any pitch in which the ball deviates from a straight path as it approaches the batter.

If you’re not sure if it was a slider or a curve, just say it was a breaking ball.

Etymology

Origin of breaking ball

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Stankiewicz credited Trojans pitching coach Sean Allen for helping Edwards, known for his rising heater, improve his curveball and develop his breaking ball.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

Needing another weapon to complement his fastball and breaking ball, his college pitching coach suggested he attempt to add a splitter to his repertoire.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

Dustin May struggles to find consistent command with his breaking ball, and Atlanta’s Austin Riley makes him pay as the Dodgers’ seven-game winning streak ends.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2025

He has good life on his low 90’s fastball, and advanced feel for locating his breaking ball and changeup.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 2, 2024

“He had the breaking ball going,” Servais said.

From Washington Times • Aug. 19, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023