catch

catch

verb

Definition of CATCH

1

to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly <we tried to catch the kitten before she could sneak out the door>

Synonyms bag, capture, collar, cop [slang], corral, get, glom, grab, grapple, hook, land, nab, nail, net, nobble [British slang], rap, seize, snag, snap (up), snare, snatch, trap

Related Words glove, halter, lasso, rope; apprehend, arrest, detain; bay, corner; clasp, clutch, fasten (on), fist, grasp, grip, hold, latch (on or onto), secure; rend, wrest; enmesh (also immesh), ensnare, entangle, entrap, mesh; abduct, kidnap, spirit (away or off)

Phrases take hold (of)

Near Antonyms discharge, free, liberate, release; drop, loosen, unhand

Antonyms miss

2

to become affected with (a disease or disorder) <you'll catch the flu for sure if you don't get a shot>

Synonyms catch, come down (with), get, go down (with) [chiefly British], sicken (with), take

Related Words break out (with); die (from), succumb (to); fail, languish, sink, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither, worsen

Near Antonyms come back, gain, heal, mend, recoup, recover, recuperate, snap back; rally, rebound, recover (from), shake (off)

3

to bring (something) to a standstill <I caught myself just as I was about to step into the freshly poured concrete>

Synonyms arrest, bring up, catch, check, draw up, fetch up, hold up, pull up, stall, stay, still, stop

Related Words baffle, balk, block, blockade, bottleneck, clog, dam, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, obstruct, snag, stem; conclude, cut off, end, terminate; call, discontinue, suspend; choke off, rein (in), repress, squash, squelch, stanch (or staunch), stunt, suppress, turn back

Near Antonyms carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep (on), keep up, persist, run on; advance, fare, go along, march, move, proceed, progress, wend; actuate, budge, drive, goad, impel, propel, push, spur, stir

4

to put securely in place or in a desired position <caught back her hair with a barrette>

Synonyms anchor, catch, clamp, fix, hitch, moor, secure, set

Related Words embed (also imbed), entrench (also intrench), implant, ingrain (also engrain), lodge, stuff, wedge

Near Antonyms extract, prize, pry, pull, root (out), tear (out), uproot, wrest, yank

Antonyms loose, loosen, unfasten, unfix, unloose, unloosen

5

to have a clear idea of <I didn't catch the point you were making about our nation's foreign policy>

Synonyms appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, behold, catch, catch on (to), cognize, compass, conceive, cotton (to or on to), decipher, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, grok, intuit, know, make, make out, perceive, recognize, register, savvy, see, seize, sense, tumble (to), twig, understand

Related Words absorb, digest, take in; realize; fathom, penetrate, pierce

Near Antonyms misapprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misperceive, misread, mistake, misunderstand

Antonyms miss

6

to cause to believe what is untrue <a number of media outlets were caught by the woman's hard-luck story>

Synonyms bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, delude, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on [chiefly British], hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, sucker, suck in, take in, trick

Related Words kid, put on, tease; bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, flam, fleece, gyp, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindle

Near Antonyms debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask; disclose, divulge, tell, unveil; disabuse, disenchant, disillusion

Antonyms undeceive

7

to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face <I'll catch you at the library tomorrow>

Synonyms catch, chance (upon), encounter, happen (upon), stumble (upon)

Related Words accost, confront; face, greet, salute; collide (with), crash (into); crisscross, cross, pass; hit (upon), light (upon), tumble (to); reencounter, remeet

Near Antonyms avoid, dodge, duck, elude, escape, evade, shake, shun

8

to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes <I looked out the window just in time to catch the neighbor's dog digging up my flower bed>

Synonyms behold, catch, descry, discern, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, remark, sight, spot, spy, view, witness

Related Words identify, make out, pick out, pick up; attend (to), consider, heed, mark, mind; study, watch; examine, inspect, scan, scrutinize, survey; glance (at), glimpse, peer (at)

Near Antonyms disregard, ignore, neglect, overpass, pass over; miss, overlook

9

to move fast enough to get even with <despite the suspect's considerable lead, the fleet-footed police officer was able to catch him and make an arrest>

Synonyms catch, catch up (with), overhaul

Related Words chase, pursue; gain, reach; pass, surpass

Near Antonyms fall short