Meaning & use
throw a curve
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiomfigurative
To surprise someone with something unexpected that makes a situation harder to handle.
Grammar: Put the person after throw: throw someone a curve, not throw a curve someone.
Patterns
- throw someone a curve
- throw a curve at someone
The manager threw us a curve by moving the deadline up a week.
Life threw her a curve when the factory closed.
The teacher threw the class a curve with a surprise quiz.
phraseidiomsport
In baseball, to pitch a ball that bends in flight so the batter finds it hard to hit.
Grammar: Literal sport use, with no object person: the pitcher threw a curve.
Patterns
- throw a curve to someone
The pitcher threw a curve on the very first pitch.
He can throw a curve with almost no change in his arm motion.
Young players practise how to throw a curve safely.
Word forms
| third person singular | throws a curve |
|---|---|
| past tense | threw a curve |
| past participle | thrown a curve |
| -ing form | throwing a curve |
Common combinations
- throw someone a curve
- Don't let one bad grade throw you a curve.
- throw a curve at someone
- The interviewer threw a curve at me with a very odd question.
- really throw a curve
- The news really threw us a curve.
- be thrown a curve
- I was thrown a curve when the flight was cancelled.
Synonyms and how they differ
- throw a curveball
- This is the same idiom with a longer ending and is slightly more common in modern speech.
- catch off guard
- Catch off guard describes the surprise itself, while throw a curve also suggests a new difficulty.
- blindside
- Blindside suggests a harsher, sudden hit from an unseen direction, so it feels more hostile.
- surprise
- Surprise is neutral and can be pleasant, whereas throw a curve usually implies trouble.
Word family
Commonly confused: throw a curve or throw a fit?
throw a curve vs throw a fit
Throw a fit means to lose your temper, while throw a curve means to surprise someone with a complication.
Practice
The client suddenly changed the whole plan, which really ___ us.
Choose one answer.
The idiom is throw someone a curve, meaning surprise them with a problem. The other options do not carry that idiomatic meaning here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “throw a curve”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.