knuckleball
noun
knuck·le·ball
ˈnə-kəl-ˌbȯl 
: a slow baseball pitch that moves erratically and unpredictably and that is thrown with little spin by gripping the ball with the knuckles or the tips of the fingers pressed against the top
Examples of knuckleball in a Sentence
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One theory has been that a new approach to kickoffs, with a knuckleball style to take advantage of the extra 5 yards of room to force a return, has led to kickers approaching field goals differently.
—
Nate Atkins, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Dirty kicks are essentially high-arching knuckleballs that can land in the middle of the field and take an unpredictable bounce or fly at an angle, depending on how the kicker makes contact.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
September can deceive like a knuckleball.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2025
Two others, Tim Wakefield (186) and Charlie Hough (174), were knuckleball pitchers whose success depended on a pitch that behaved irrationally and independently.
—Gqlshare, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
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Nate Atkins, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Dirty kicks are essentially high-arching knuckleballs that can land in the middle of the field and take an unpredictable bounce or fly at an angle, depending on how the kicker makes contact.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
September can deceive like a knuckleball.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2025
Two others, Tim Wakefield (186) and Charlie Hough (174), were knuckleball pitchers whose success depended on a pitch that behaved irrationally and independently.
—Gqlshare, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knuckleball
Cite this Entry
“Knuckleball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knuckleball. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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knuckleball
noun
knuck·le·ball
ˈnək-əl-ˌbȯl
: a baseball pitch gripped with the knuckles or fingertips and thrown with very little spin
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