Illustration of catapult
- catapult 1
cat·a·pult
ˈka-tə-ˌpəlt 
-ˌpu̇lt
1
: an ancient military device for hurling missiles
2
: a device for launching an airplane at flying speed (as from an aircraft carrier)
catapulted; catapulting; catapults
: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult
: to become catapulted
he catapulted to fame
Examples of catapult in a Sentence
Verb
They catapulted rocks toward the castle.
The publicity catapulted her CD to the top of the charts.
The novel catapulted him from unknown to best-selling author.
He catapulted to fame after his first book was published.
Her career was catapulting ahead.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025
The puppet both catapults Sam’s career and puts his well-being in peril.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 16 Oct. 2025
Li Goldstein, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
After Arthur Anderson folded, Townes-Whitley charted a new course by joining Unisys, a server infrastructure company, which catapulted her into the tech world.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catapult
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Noun
Earlier images of the Sichuan showed the catapult covers removed and a radar array installed, signs that the vessel was nearing sea trial readiness.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025
The puppet both catapults Sam’s career and puts his well-being in peril.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
As in past years, the limited supply will likely catapult turkey prices throughout the Thanksgiving season.
—Li Goldstein, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
After Arthur Anderson folded, Townes-Whitley charted a new course by joining Unisys, a server infrastructure company, which catapulted her into the tech world.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catapult
Cite this Entry
“Catapult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catapult. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
catapult
1 of 2 noun
cat·a·pult
ˈkat-ə-ˌpəlt
-ˌpu̇lt
1
: an ancient military device for hurling missiles
2
: a device for launching an airplane (as from the deck of an aircraft carrier)
catapult
2 of 2 verb1
: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult
2
: to become catapulted
he catapulted to fame
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