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.

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

But unlike their battle the previous night, this breaking ball was not off the plate, but rather knee high and over the inner half.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2024

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

Marte said he was looking for a good pitch to hit and found it on a breaking ball down the middle.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 8, 2023

A’s manager Mark Kotsay complimented Boyle for attacking the zone and said his breaking ball could be a key finishing pitch.

From Washington Times • Sep. 18, 2023

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