throw someone a curve

idiom

The idiom "throw someone a curve" originates from baseball, where a curveball is a type of pitch that is difficult to hit, symbolizing unexpected challenges or surprises in life.

🇺🇸 US Voice:

🇬🇧 UK Voice:

Definition

B2General

(informal, US, Australian)To surprise someone with something unexpected that requires quick adaptation.

Example

Just when we thought we had everything planned, the weather threw us a curve.
The new project requirements threw the team a curve, but they managed to adapt quickly.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "throw someone a curve":

throw something in someone's face throw about brushback pitch throw off pitch out throw the bull bowl a googly behind the curve throw in change up throw over