1
as in infectious
capable of being passed by physical contact from one person to another
a cold is often catching before the symptoms even begin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spreading
exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others
a catching smile that instantly puts patients at ease
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in grabbing
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
we tried to catch the kitten before she could sneak out the door
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in getting
to become affected with (a disease or disorder)
you'll catch the flu for sure if you don't get a shot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stopping
to bring (something) to a standstill
I caught myself just as I was about to step into the freshly poured concrete
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in securing
to put securely in place or in a desired position
caught back her hair with a barrette
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in knowing
to have a clear idea of
I didn't catch the point you were making about our nation's foreign policy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in tricking
to cause to believe what is untrue
a number of media outlets were caught by the woman's hard-luck story
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in encountering
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face
I'll catch you at the library tomorrow
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in noticing
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in chasing
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of catching
Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
The Twins have employed a catching split for the past three seasons between Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vázquez.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 21 Nov. 2025
Thomas Koetting, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Born in Nigeria and based in London, Nwosu developed Lady at Film4 after catching some buzz on the festival circuit with Egúngún (2021), her Columbia Film School graduation short, which screened at TIFF and Sundance.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catching
Adjective
Schwarber hit 56 home runs this year, so the Phillies are almost guaranteed to exhaust their options for a new deal with him, and without Realmuto, their catching depth chart would be exceptionally iffy.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
The Twins have employed a catching split for the past three seasons between Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vázquez.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 21 Nov. 2025
Verb
Ostrofsky filed for divorce in 2021, catching her off-guard.
—Thomas Koetting, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Born in Nigeria and based in London, Nwosu developed Lady at Film4 after catching some buzz on the festival circuit with Egúngún (2021), her Columbia Film School graduation short, which screened at TIFF and Sundance.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catching
Adjective
-
Raimi, in his first foray into horror since 2009’s Drag Me to Hell, attacks the material with a joyous ferocity that proves infectious.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
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Driven by salsa’s infectious rhythms and reimagined through a modern lens, the song — which bridges generations and honors tradition — laces Fonsi’s soaring vocals with Feid’s smooth, melodic voice.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Thomas then appeared to quickly lunge at Leon, swiftly grabbing and lifting him up before body slamming the suspect to the ground.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Those eight factors are eating healthy, being active, not smoking, getting high sleep quality, and managing weight, cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
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Uhlaender, 41, won the race in skeleton, but the manipulation kept her from getting the requisite points to qualify for the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Games.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The controversy began at the end of a planning and zoning meeting last Thursday, when the council member raised concerns about Border Patrol agents stopping people in the community.—
Anna McAllister,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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States such as Minnesota should also look to civil law as a basis for stopping baleful and unlawful ICE tactics.—
Aziz Huq,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Just months ago, several Democrats backed down and ended a record 43-day government shutdown over healthcare funding without securing their core demand.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
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This includes cultivating ties with national leaders, engaging local officials such as customs and immigration officers and securing contracts through regional development banks in order to place Chinese companies and personnel on the ground.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Low-resolution Surveying involves gathering surface-level information about a wide variety of topics—knowing a little about a lot of stuff.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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That includes knowing when to let go of something that no longer serves you.—
Andrew Rosen,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Prompt injection is a method of tricking LLMs into doing things they are normally prevented from doing.—
Bruce Schneier,
IEEE Spectrum,
21 Jan. 2026
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While cold can damage plants, weather that’s too warm too soon can also have a negative effect on bulbs by tricking them into sprouting early.—
Andrea Beck,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sandweg also said the Border Patrol has no business operating in a city like Minneapolis because their training is geared more toward encountering drug cartels and migrants along the border.—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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The book begins with a familiar spark, a rescue, but Wells wanted to push the setting into something stronger and tougher to move through, eventually coming up with another unique sci-fi setting that Murderbot and its friends can navigate while encountering friends, foes and more eye contact.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catching. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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