This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
curveball
or curve ball
[ kurv-bawl ]
/ ˈkɜrvˌbɔl /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun Baseball.
a pitch with a downward spin that causes the ball to drop and veer as it approaches home plate, away from the side from which it was thrown: He started perfecting his curveball during his junior year in high school.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Origin of curveball
An Americanism dating back to 1875–80
Words nearby curveball
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use curveball in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for curveball
curve ball
noun
baseball a ball pitched in a curving path so as to make it more difficult to hit
informal something deceptivehis wholesome image was a curve ball thrown to deceive the public
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012