curveball
Americannoun
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.
Ohtani used a wide range of his arsenal Friday, landing an especially effective curveball for a called third strike against Heliot Ramos in the fourth inning.
From Los Angeles Times
The Oscar for best short action film was announced by comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani, who took the curveball in his stride.
From BBC
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
He’s impressed through his first two Cactus League starts, with just four baserunners and no runs over 2-2/3 innings, while working with a versatile five-pitch mix that features a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a “bullet slider,” a straight changeup and a 12-to-6 curveball.
From Los Angeles Times
He showed promise with his high-velocity fastball and swing-and-miss slider/curveball combination.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
