cat and mouse

noun

: behavior like that of a cat with a mouse: such as

a

: the act of toying with or tormenting something before destroying it

b

: a contrived action involving constant pursuit, near captures, and repeated escapes

played a game of cat and mouse with the police

broadly : an evasive action

Examples of cat and mouse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Brittany’s game of cat and mouse—point, creep and point again—lasts for more than 100 yards as these birds are constantly on the move. —Chris Dorsey, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

Officials reported finding cages of dead birds, a live cat and mice within the home, which also had a terrible stench. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025

Gone are the tedious, cat and mouse 30-dink rallies of 2023 and 2024; 2025 and these pairs are pedal-to-the-medal, attack at will, power before finesse, and in this observer’s opinion, the watch-ability and televise-ability is improved for it. —Todd Boss, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

When Anisimova lost the Queen’s final last month to 37-year-old Tatyana Maria, she was totally bemused by the German’s cat and mouse tactics. —Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cat and mouse

• boardinghouse
• charterhouse
• clearinghouse
• coffeehouse
• customhouse
• firehouse
• meetinghouse
• motherhouse
• packinghouse
• pilothouse
• powerhouse
• slaughterhouse