SINCE 1828
cat and mouse
nounDefinition of cat and mouse
: 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
On the one hand, the cat and mouse, tit for tat battle between Liverpool and Manchester City was an enthralling and utterly remarkable title chase. — SI.com, "Premier League: Why the Rest of the Top 6 Won't Close the Gap to Liverpool & Man City Next Season," 8 June 2019 So future tanks will become more difficult for enemies to detect, playing a cat and mouse game with their opponents by reducing their acoustic, radar, and infrared signatures. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Stealth Tanks Are Coming," 7 Aug. 2018 Created by Adam Brooks and Paul Adelstein, the drama starring Inbar Lavi followed a persona-shifting con artist and her three most recent victims, who pursue her in a game of cat and mouse. — Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Imposters' Canceled as Bravo Refines Its Scripted Approach," 1 June 2018 But Ream also has a history of mind games, toying with investigators in a game of cat and mouse. — Elisha Anderson, Detroit Free Press, "Suspected serial killer wants an apology from Warren police," 21 May 2018 The New York Police Department analyst and the leader of a fanatical Islamist cell played a dangerous game of cat and mouse for years. — Jessica Donati, WSJ, "NYPD Analyst Hunted al Qaeda Recruiter for Years. Now They’re a Team.," 27 Apr. 2018 While spring temperatures continue to play cat and mouse with much of the country, the weather is indeed warming, and with the warmer weather comes snow melt. — Susan B. Barnes, USA TODAY, "Spectacular waterfalls within the USA," 22 Apr. 2018 When this wild bunch descends upon the mansion, Taylor capably ratchets up the tension as Brea and John land in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the criminals. — Gary Goldstein, latimes.com, "Paula Patton stars in the surprisingly effective thriller 'Traffik'," 20 Apr. 2018 Eve and Villanelle begin a game of cat and mouse in which the two increasingly become obsessed with one another. — Time, "Sandra Oh on Stereotypes, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and Her First Lead Role on 'Killing Eve'," 9 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cat and mouse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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