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Synonyms

curveball

American  
[kurv-bawl] / ˈkɜrvˌbɔl /
Or curve ball

noun

Baseball.

  1. 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.

Etymology

Origin of curveball

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80

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.

Not wanting to overload Soriano, the Angels had him focus on his sinker and curveball, his two best pitches.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

The Oscar for best short action film was announced by comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani, who took the curveball in his stride.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

However, the developer threw a Ye-style curveball of his own in 2025, when he opted to list the partially completed home for $39 million, eventually reducing that price to $34.9 million.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

In September, however, the same 6-3 majority threw another curveball.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

When Matt Cain pitched a curveball, twenty balls flew across twenty screens.

From "Crenshaw" by Katherine Applegate

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.