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

Desperate, the brothers resort to going on a bank-robbing spree, which becomes a game of cat and mouse as they are tracked by a pair of Texas rangers (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham). —Sezin Devi Keohler, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026

Submarine warfare plays out as a game of cat and mouse. —James Dwyer, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026

The wonderful director, Ken Olin, really encouraged us to make a cat and mouse game of it with neither giving anything away. —Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026

Carolyn and John play cat and mouse at a Calvin Klein event at Indochine, avoiding each other at the restaurant and kissing in alleys, where the paparazzi can’t see them. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cat and mouse

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