curveball

noun

curve·​ball ˈkərv-ˌbȯl 

: a slow or moderately fast baseball pitch thrown with spin to make it swerve downward and usually to the left when thrown from the right hand or to the right when thrown from the left hand

curveball verb

Examples of curveball in a Sentence

The batter struck out on a curveball.

Recent Examples on the Web

Craig Hudson | Reuters The sudden cuts to the federal workforce under President Donald Trump will likely throw a curveball into the retirement plans of many Americans, including those from typically disadvantaged backgrounds like Black Americans. —Jesse Pound, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025

Challenge yourself with mock interviews full of curveball questions. —Ira Wolfe, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025

Read the full Cancer Daily Horoscope Leo (July 23 - August 22) Thrown a curveball? —USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025

DeSantis' endorsement of his wife comes just days after Trump threw a curveball into the Florida governor's race by backing U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R), though Donalds has not formally entered the race. —Ivana Saric, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing curveball

• throw (someone) a curve/curveball

Rhymes for curveball

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• catarrhal
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol