- a variation of curveball.
curve ball
Britishnoun
-
baseball a ball pitched in a curving path so as to make it more difficult to hit
-
informal something deceptive
his wholesome image was a curve ball thrown to deceive the public
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.
Whatever curve ball is coming, you have to roll with it.
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
The couple have documented the "mammoth renovation" project on their Channel 4 show and said the "biggest curve ball" they encountered so far was dealing with bird poo and dry rot.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
The People's Bank of China seems to like being enigmatic, throwing the market a curve ball as it fixed the yuan weaker against the dollar than many expected.
From Reuters ● Jun. 28, 2023
With an 11th-hour curve ball that would surely make Logan Roy smirk, “Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong revealed the drama’s upcoming fourth season will be its last.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2023
Some of the boys said that I gave the old bended-knee sign for a curve ball.
From Pitching in a Pinch or, Baseball from the Inside by Christy Mathewson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.