Illustration of catapult
- catapult 1
cat·a·pult
ˈka-tə-ˌpəlt 
-ˌpu̇lt
1
: an ancient military device for hurling missiles
2
: a device for launching an airplane at flying speed (as from an aircraft carrier)
catapulted; catapulting; catapults
: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult
: to become catapulted
he catapulted to fame
Examples of catapult in a Sentence
Verb
They catapulted rocks toward the castle.
The publicity catapulted her CD to the top of the charts.
The novel catapulted him from unknown to best-selling author.
He catapulted to fame after his first book was published.
Her career was catapulting ahead.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 14 Nov. 2025
The United States operates a fleet of amphibious assault ships—America-class and Wasp-class—that lack catapults and arresting gear.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Rachel Morris, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025
As an early and enthusiastic supporter of Zohran Mamdani, Piker played a key role in helping catapult the New York mayoral candidate to Gracie Mansion by spreading the Democrat’s socialist message to his legion of fans.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catapult
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Noun
The new hull section, visible this month, shows design elements similar to those on American supercarriers of the Nimitz and Ford classes, including what analysts say appears to be space for multiple catapult tracks.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 14 Nov. 2025
The United States operates a fleet of amphibious assault ships—America-class and Wasp-class—that lack catapults and arresting gear.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Verb
After winning no victories in nearly two decades of creative maneuvering, the opponents of birthright citizenship were catapulted into positions of power and influence.
—Rachel Morris, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025
As an early and enthusiastic supporter of Zohran Mamdani, Piker played a key role in helping catapult the New York mayoral candidate to Gracie Mansion by spreading the Democrat’s socialist message to his legion of fans.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catapult
Cite this Entry
“Catapult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catapult. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
catapult
1 of 2 noun
cat·a·pult
ˈkat-ə-ˌpəlt
-ˌpu̇lt
1
: an ancient military device for hurling missiles
2
: a device for launching an airplane (as from the deck of an aircraft carrier)
catapult
2 of 2 verb1
: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult
2
: to become catapulted
he catapulted to fame
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