throw a curve

Idioms and Phrases

Surprise or outwit someone, as in They threw me a curve when they said that our department would be combined with yours . This colloquial term comes from baseball, where a pitcher tries to fool the batter by using a curve ball , which is thrown with sufficient spin to make it veer from its expected path. The term was transferred to other kinds of surprise, not necessarily unpleasant, in the mid-1900s.

Example Sentences

Surely the Fed won't throw a curve ball later on Wednesday, will it?

From Reuters

Nature can throw a curve ball; nothing is guaranteed.

From Seattle Times

“Is he going to go fastball to get ahead or is he going to throw a curve ball to steal a strike? In an even count is he going fastball to trick us or is he going to go with his strength, the changeup? Ultimately, it just comes down to execution.”

From Washington Times

Hardcore Rick Owens fans may own numerous black pairs of his Dunks, but the new season’s Geo Baskets in bubble gum pink throw a curve ball and flip the dark Owens aesthetic.

From New York Times

And that means the Colts could throw a curve ball at conventional wisdom and take a different route to reinforce a team with two playoff appearances in the past three seasons.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• agitate
• anger
• astound
• awe
• disgust
• dismay
• displease
• disturb
• flabbergast
• horrify
• insult
• jar
• jolt
• offend
• outrage
• overwhelm
• paralyze
• rock
• shake
• shake up