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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of catching
Shayna Rubin, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026
He’s worn special catching gear to celebrate his heritage.
—Kansas City Star, 18 Mar. 2026
Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 May 2026
The Chicago White Sox have been searching for offensive production from the catching position.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catching
Adjective
The team also caught a break as far as their catching depth with veteran Eric Haase clearing waivers and starting for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats on Wednesday.
—Shayna Rubin, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026
He’s worn special catching gear to celebrate his heritage.
—Kansas City Star, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
Would Posey make such a surprising and significant change in his catching corps if the rest of the lineup had produced as expected over the first quarter of the season?
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 May 2026
The Chicago White Sox have been searching for offensive production from the catching position.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catching
Adjective
-
Officials said asymptomatic individuals are not considered infectious.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2026
-
His adoration, here as in all things natural, is infectious, although the birds themselves care not a whit for him, and isn’t that part of the wonder, the fun?—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Other complaints had to do with the Puerto Rican rap star grabbing his crotch, and with two dancers who allegedly grabbed each other's breasts (which, if true, is a wild dance move).—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
Particularly since the savings made in service-staff costs and brick-and-mortar bar space, not to mention the affordability of buying booze here in China's RMB currency, aren't that far off grabbing a can or bottle from a nearby 24-hour convenience store.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The Dark Knight’s wheels are getting a winter upgrade.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
And second, our views of the future tend to be dark, and seem to be getting darker.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Higher gas prices and airfare aren't stopping 45 million Americans from traveling for Memorial Day weekend in 2026, according to AAA's new forecast.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
There’s been no stopping Garcia in his last two starts.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
That map would have cut up Indianapolis into four new districts, securing a Republican edge.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
-
Schneider also made sure to draft a running back high last month, securing Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price with the last pick of the first round.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Raman and Pratt are right in deeming Bass the old guard of a beat-up city — but the old guard didn’t get there without knowing how to win.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Instead, Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division did little to confront the problem despite knowing about it for years, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Associated Press and FRONTLINE (PBS) has found.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
This method involves tricking an employee or person with elevated access into giving up their password.—
Marybel Rodriguez,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
-
Instead of acting independently, the forces influence one another to amplify the ion’s motion, thereby tricking the system into generating a much stronger, more complex interaction than either force could achieve alone.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Diaz and her mother were found dead after encountering smoke while trying to escape the blaze through the interior staircase, according to People en Español.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
12 May 2026
-
Fattkay’s initial plan was to build a team communication alternative after encountering high costs with existing tools.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catching. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
