throw someone a curveball
Catch them off-guard
To throw someone a curveball is to surprise them with something unexpected or difficult to handle.
From baseball, where a curveball's deceptive trajectory makes it hard to hit: Life threw us a curveball when the company went bankrupt.
The phrase implies catching someone off guard, often with unwelcome complications.
- blindsideSurprise with unexpected force
- ruseDeliberate act of deception
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- take abackShock or disconcert suddenly
- throw off balanceDisrupt someone's equilibrium
catch off guard · challenge · baseball · confound · disconcert · idiom · out of left field · left field · wild card · wrong-foot · surprise · bewilderment · unpredictable · metaphor · interruption · reevaluation · change of pace · throw for a loop
throw someone a curveballplay it straight
Behave honestly, without guile
lay one's cards on the table · show one's hand · color inside the lines · toe the line
throw someone a curveballbe honest
Speak without deception
lay one's cards on the table · tell it like it is · put one's cards on the table · come clean · speak plainly
throw someone a curveballgive someone a break
Show mercy or patience
throw someone a bone · cut someone some slack · pave the way · spoon-feed
throws, thrown, throwing, thrower, someone, curves, curved, curvature, curveball