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
Zukor didn’t like the cat and mouse game, but the Warners were growing fast and getting away.
—
Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
As Iran’s crackdown on communication continues, a game of cat and mouse has ensued, with Iran’s government deploying new ways to halt or slow down Starlink connections, and activists and Starlink’s parent company, Elon Musk’s Space X, working to circumvent them.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 15 Jan. 2026
For now, both the cat and mouse are released back into the field.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
The film follows a relentless detective and an infamous contract killer who collide in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cat and mouse
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Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
As Iran’s crackdown on communication continues, a game of cat and mouse has ensued, with Iran’s government deploying new ways to halt or slow down Starlink connections, and activists and Starlink’s parent company, Elon Musk’s Space X, working to circumvent them.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 15 Jan. 2026
For now, both the cat and mouse are released back into the field.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
The film follows a relentless detective and an infamous contract killer who collide in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cat and mouse
Cite this Entry
“Cat and mouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cat%20and%20mouse. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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