breaking ball

[ brey-king bawl ]

/ ˈbreɪ kɪŋ ˈbɔl /

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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.

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Origin of breaking ball

First recorded in 1905–10

Words nearby breaking ball

breakfront, break ground, break-in, breaking, breaking and entering, breaking ball, breaking point, break-in period, break into, break it up, break loose

How to use breaking ball in a sentence

His fastball was just a tick down to start the game, but I thought he had some good breaking balls again, threw some good change-ups, battled.
O’s blanked by Marlins despite strong start from rookie Bruce Zimmermann|Jon Meoli|April 21, 2021|Washington Post
In the process of traveling another foot, for example, a higher percentage of breaking balls could break out of the zone, increasing walks undesirably.
In the minors, a major change as the Atlantic League plans to move the mound back a foot|Jacob Bogage, Chelsea Janes|April 14, 2021|Washington Post
With the count 1-2, Bass threw a breaking ball that appeared to be headed to the upper inside corner of the strike zone.
Umpire admits mistake on hit-by-pitch call that gave Mets walk-off win|Des Bieler|April 9, 2021|Washington Post
He explained that Scherzer was having trouble getting his slider on lefties’ hands, so the curve was added as a gateway to throwing breaking balls across his body.
Alex Avila has experience catching Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin. And it shows.|Jesse Dougherty|February 26, 2021|Washington Post

“We saw his background and he was a Bronx guy and we started breaking the case,” Boyce says.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Breaking the will of ISIS, the military argues, is not a statistic.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
One of the kids had a ball in his hand, and Cuomo took it and tossed it back and forth to an eight year old.
Mario Cuomo, Always Moving Us Toward the Light|Mike Barnicle|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Instead of going for the hole, I hit the ball directly into the water.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There is only sand, a white ball, and a flag indicating the hole.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was little better than coal dust, and would not carry a ball fifty paces to kill or wound.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Strive to speak or sing fluently without breaking the quality of tone used.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
A view of the duchess's ball-room, or of the dining-table of the earl, will supersede all occasion for lengthy fiddle-faddle.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Say that my anger has no bounds—that my heart is breaking—will break and kill me, if he persists in his ingratitude and cruelty.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
He had not the least idea what wadding was, and his notion of a bullet was a dockyard cannon-ball bigger than his own head.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling

breaking ball

Origin of breaking ball

Words nearby breaking ball

Words related to breaking ball

How to use breaking ball in a sentence