cat and mouse

noun

: behavior like that of a cat with a mouse: such as

a

: the act of toying with or tormenting something before destroying it

b

: a contrived action involving constant pursuit, near captures, and repeated escapes

played a game of cat and mouse with the police

broadly : an evasive action

Examples of cat and mouse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While the two play cat and mouse, an insidious supervillain in Kenneth Branagh looms overhead, threatening to take Jordan down. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026

And the trailer for the new crime drama promises a return to Kemp's explosive, high-stakes games of cat and mouse. —Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026

But when a trio of dangerous outsiders interrupt the deadly weekend getaway Dan and Lisa had planned, what should have been a game of marital cat and mouse turns into a deliciously gory, if overly protracted, battle for survival. —Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026

Submarine warfare plays out as a game of cat and mouse. —James Dwyer, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cat and mouse

• boardinghouse
• charterhouse
• clearinghouse
• coffeehouse
• customhouse
• firehouse
• meetinghouse
• motherhouse
• packinghouse
• pilothouse
• powerhouse
• slaughterhouse