curveball
noun
curve·ball
| \ ˈkərv-ˌbȯl
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Definition of curveball
: 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
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Examples of curveball in a Sentence
The batter struck out on a curveball.
Recent Examples on the Web
The ability to easily generate mid-90s velocity with his fastball suggests the possibility of command, while the curveball is a true big-league strikeout pitch already, and the changeup gives him the chance to be a complete pitcher. — Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, "After 15 months of rehab, Jay Groome gets back on the mound," 23 Aug. 2019 His curveball is his marquee and his fastball sits in the low 90s. — Matt Martell, SI.com, "Grading the Cubs' Trade for Nicholas Castellanos," 31 July 2019 The curveball was a good pitch for me tonight, the cutter. — Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A frustrating night for Chase Anderson and the Brewers," 2 June 2018 Particularly Bauer, whose curveball was devastating all afternoon. — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "Trevor Bauer-Gerrit Cole showdown: Indians starter dominates; both get no-decision," 27 May 2018 Bassett went on to strike out Maldonado on a 67-mph curveball. — Jeff Faraudo, The Mercury News, "Athletics beat Astros for third straight time, positioned for series sweep," 17 Aug. 2019 His 434-foot blast to center on a Will Harris curveball had an exit velocity of 111.3 mph. — Phil Thompson, chicagotribune.com, "James McCann’s grand slam — the 4th of his career — caps a wild 13-9 win for the White Sox," 14 Aug. 2019 On a 2-2 count, Rodriguez tried to fool Ramirez on a curveball, but Ramirez parked it in the left-field stands, extending Cleveland’s lead, 5-1. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Indians strike in ninth to knock off Red Sox," 12 Aug. 2019 Pinch-hitter Victor Caratini blasted a three-run homer on a hanging curveball from reliever Jeremy Jeffress, who has had trouble locating that pitch of late. — Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Cubs 11, Brewers 4: Kyle Schwarber puts on air show of his own with two homers, seven RBI," 28 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'curveball.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for curveball
curveball
noun
English Language Learners Definition of curveball
baseball
: a pitch that is thrown with spin so that the ball curves in the air
See the full definition for curveball in the English Language Learners Dictionary