Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
knuckleball

knuckleball

5 8.2
A pitch in baseball thrown with little spin that moves unpredictably
  • noun
  • /ˈnʌkəlˌbɔl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : knuckleball
  • knuckleball baffled the batter as it danced unpredictably across the plate.
  • throw a knuckleball
  • knuckleball pitcher
  • hit a knuckleball

So, so, all right, a knuckleball does not spin.

Examples

  • And as all catchers across all baseball history can attest, nothing is harder to catch than a knuckleball.

    Blog text (13)

  • No spin on a knuckleball, you still can't tell how it's gonna break.

    Bad (1977)

  • A knuckleball down the middle.

    Mask (1985)

  • So, so, all right, a knuckleball does not spin.

    StarTalk

  • I'll teach you how to throw a knuckleball.

    The Nun II (2023)

  • Knuckleball over the inside corner for strike two.

    In the Bedroom (2001)

  • Dickey is the first knuckleball pitcher to win the award.

    Blog text (9)

  • Fortunately, I could throw an unhittable knuckleball, so I got to go to Baylor University.

    Blog text (28)

  • Dickey enchanted baseball fans this season, harnessing the unruly power of his knuckleball to devastating ends.

    Blog text (9)

  • R.A. Dickey, a 38-year-old knuckleball pitcher, was 20-6 for the Mets in 2012.

    Blog text (9)

Synonyms

knuckler
vsknuckleball
  • Jargon
1 9.2

A slow baseball pitch that moves in an unpredictable way

has identical meaning but uses the standard name instead

How Unpredictable

knuckleball
  • Specialized
5 8.2
changeup
  • Specialized
5 5.6
curveball
  • Specialized
15 5.3
slider
  • Jargon
11 6.6
fastball
  • US
55 3.2

Surface Forms

knuckleball singular
knuckleballs plural

Morphology

knuckleball = knuckle + ball (semi-transparent) = knuckle + ball

Components 'knuckle' and 'ball' are literal and recognizable, but the specific technical meaning 'a pitch thrown with little spin causing erratic movement' is specialized baseball jargon.

Etymology

The word knuckleball comes from the way a pitcher holds the ball with their knuckles when they throw it, which gives the ball 'little spin' so it can 'dance' across the plate. So, a knuckleball is a baseball pitch thrown with little spin that moves unpredictably and is hard to catch.