catch

1 of 2

verb

ˈkach How to pronounce catch (audio)
ˈkech
caught ˈkȯt How to pronounce catch (audio)
 also  ˈkät
; catching

transitive verb

1
a
: to capture or seize especially after pursuit
catch a thief
b
: to take or entangle in or as if in a snare
catch fish in a net
c
d
: to discover unexpectedly : find
caught in the act
e
: to check (oneself) suddenly or momentarily
He started to say the wrong thing but quickly caught himself.
f
: to become suddenly aware of
caught me looking at him
2
a
: to take hold of : seize
He caught her by the arm as she tripped.
b
: to affect suddenly
The announcement caught me by surprise.
c
: to grasp and hold on to (something in motion)
catch a fly ball
d
: to avail oneself of : take
caught the first opportunity to leave
e
: to obtain through effort : get
catch a ride
f
: to overtake unexpectedly
usually used in the passive
was caught in a storm
g
: to get entangled
catch a sleeve on a nail
3
: to become affected by: such as
a
: contract
catch a cold
b
: to respond sympathetically to the point of being imbued (see imbue sense 2) with
catch the spirit of an occasion
c
: to be struck by
He caught a bullet in the leg.
d
: to be subjected to : receive
catch hell
4
a
: to take in and retain
a barrel to catch rainwater
b
: fasten
catch back a curtain
5
: to take or get usually momentarily or quickly
catch a glimpse of a friend
catch a nap
6
a
: overtake
catch the leader in a race
b
: to get aboard in time
catch the bus
7
: to attract and hold : arrest, engage
caught their attention
The glint of the gold in each case caught my eye, you see.Arthur Conan Doyle
8
: to make contact with : strike
The pitch caught him in the back.
9
a
: to grasp by the senses or the mind
you catch what I mean?
didn't catch the name
b
: to apprehend and fix by artistic means
The new portrait catches her likeness perfectly.
10
a
: see, watch
catch a game on TV
b
: to listen to
caught the last part of the concert
11
: to serve as a catcher for in baseball
caught both ends of the doubleheader
12
: to meet with
catch you later

intransitive verb

1
: to grasp hastily or try to grasp
2
: to become caught
The kite caught in the tree branches.
3
: to catch fire
4
: to play the position of catcher on a baseball team
5
: kick over
the engine caught
catchable adjective
an easily catchable fly ball

catch

2 of 2

noun

1
: something caught
especially : the total quantity caught at one time
a large catch of fish
2
a
: the act, action, or fact of catching
The shortstop made a tough catch.
b
: a game in which a ball is thrown and caught
played catch with his dad
3
: something that checks or holds immovable
a safety catch
4
: one worth catching especially as a spouse
5
: a round for three or more unaccompanied usually male voices often with suggestive or obscene lyrics
6
: fragment, snatch
remembered only catches of the song
7
: a concealed difficulty or complication
there must be a catch
8
: a momentary audible break in the voice or breath
Phrases
catch a crab
: to fail to raise an oar clear of the water on recovery of a stroke
catch dead
: to find or see at any time
used in strongly negative constructions
wouldn't be caught dead in that shirt
catch fire
1
: to become ignited
2
: to become fired with enthusiasm
3
: to increase greatly in scope, popularity, interest, or effectiveness
this stock has not caught fire—yetForbes
catch it
: to incur blame, reprimand, or punishment
He'll really catch it from the boss if he's late again.
catch one's breath
: to rest long enough to restore normal breathing
broadly : to rest after a period of intense activity
Choose the Right Synonym for catch

catch, capture, trap, snare, entrap, ensnare, bag mean to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing.

catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding.

caught the dog as it ran by

capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

trap, snare, entrap, ensnare imply seizing by some device that holds the one caught at the mercy of the captor.

trap and snare apply more commonly to physical seizing.

trap animals
snared butterflies with a net

entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question
a sting operation that ensnared burglars

bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

Examples of catch in a Sentence

Verb Catch the ball and throw it to first base. She caught the ball with one hand. I dropped the book but managed to catch it before it hit the ground. I'll throw you the keys. Ready? Catch! He caught hold of her wrist. The police are working hard to catch the criminals and put them in jail. “I bet you can't catch me!” she yelled to her brother. I once caught 10 fish in a single day. In the summer, we would catch fireflies and put them in jars. I caught her just as she was leaving for work. Noun The shortstop made a tough catch. She used to play catch with her dad. Let's play a game of catch. a catch of about 20 fish
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
She and her family are welcomed by the queen, Isabelle (Robin Wright, gorgeously cloaked in robes, power and snobbery), and her fiancé, Prince Henry (Nick Robinson), who looks oddly sheepish, as if he’d been caught in a lie on his Royal Match profile. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 In the 2023 season, Smith appeared in all 17 games (six starts) and caught 50 passes for 582 yards, both career highs, as well as three touchdowns. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 New Zealand Disney+, which has rights for the Oscars in multiple international territories, will be the spot for Kiwis to catch the red carpet and official ceremony this year. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 Trout Fishing Lure Tips Avoid Line Twist with Spinners In-line spinners like Rooster Tails and Panther Martins will catch trout swimming anywhere in the country. Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 7 Mar. 2024 Remington caught the smallmouth on March 3 at Monroe Lake, a 10,000-acre reservoir near Bloomington. Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 7 Mar. 2024 In February 2023, an employee spread manure when he wasn’t supposed to, and satellites caught the results on camera. Bennet Goldstein, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024 Sample cuisine from all over the world on Buford Highway, learn about America's favorite soda at The World of Coca-Cola, catch a baseball game at Truist Park, or set your sights on shopping in Buckhead. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 More than a month later Cheyenne left the house to catch a bus and was never seen again. Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024
Noun
With a serviceable receiver in Smythe (35 catches in 43 catches for career-high 366 yards last season) and a very good one in Smith, there will be more motivation to use 12 personnel and less predictability when Miami uses it because neither player is deficient as a blocker or receiver. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 Read Next: 12 Tactics to Catch Largemouth During the Pre-Spawn, Spawn, and Post-Spawn Officials at the Indiana DNR were unable to comment on the catch beyond saying that the certification process for the state’s Record Fish Program could be completed within a week. Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 7 Mar. 2024 For example, regulators use risk information to set catch limits for species such as tuna; higher risk could mean that catch limits need to be lower. Heather Welch, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2024 In his first season with the Texans, Schultz had 59 catches for 635 yards with five touchdowns, leading the tight end to re-sign with Houston on a three-year $36 million contract during the offseason. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 When third baseman Jared Sprague-Lott couldn't make the catch, Carson Garner tried to score from third base and was tagged out by McEntire in a rundown for a double play. Bob Holt, arkansasonline.com, 4 Mar. 2024 The decline in catch continues to build on a trend in the Maine lobster industry since harvesters caught a record high 132.6 million pounds in 2016, and 2023 marked the second year in a row the total catch has declined. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The Phoenix Convention Center will hold the Men’s Final Four Fan Fest all four days of the event, allowing guests to play interactive games, get autographs and catch sightings of celebrities and athletes. Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 There had to be a catch, and there was: many people died in captivity. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English cacchen, from Anglo-French cacher, chacher, chacer to hunt, from Vulgar Latin *captiare, alteration of Latin captare to chase, frequentative of capere to take — more at heave entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of catch was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near catch

Cite this Entry

“Catch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catch. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

catch

1 of 2 verb
ˈkach How to pronounce catch (audio)
ˈkech
caught ˈkȯt How to pronounce catch (audio) ; catching
1
a
: to capture or seize in flight or motion
catch butterflies
catch a ball
2
a
: to discover unexpectedly
was caught in the act
b
: to stop suddenly
caught himself before he gave away the secret
3
: to take hold of : snatch
4
a
: to get entangled
catch a sleeve on a nail
b
: to have the parts connect firmly
this lock will not catch
c
: to attach, join, or fasten tightly
5
: to fall sick with
catch a cold
6
: to take or get for a short time or quickly
catch a glimpse of a friend
catch a little sleep
7
a
: to catch up to
will have to hurry to catch the leaders
b
: to get aboard in time
catch the bus
8
: understand sense 1a
didn't catch what she said
9
: to play baseball as a catcher

catch

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: something caught
b
: the quantity caught at one time
a large catch of fish
2
a
: the act of catching
b
: a pastime in which a ball is thrown and caught
3
: something that checks, fastens, or holds immovable
a catch on a door
4
: one worth discovering or finding
5
: a round for three or more voices
6
: a hidden difficulty
there must be a catch
Etymology

Verb

Middle English cacchen "to catch," from early French cacher "to hunt," derived from Latin captare "to chase," from capere "to take" — related to capture

More from Merriam-Webster on catch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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