catapult

1 of 2

noun

cat·​a·​pult ˈka-tə-ˌpəlt How to pronounce catapult (audio)
-ˌpu̇lt
1
: an ancient military device for hurling missiles
2
: a device for launching an airplane at flying speed (as from an aircraft carrier)

Illustration of catapult

Illustration of catapult
  • catapult 1

catapult

2 of 2

verb

catapulted; catapulting; catapults

transitive verb

: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult

intransitive verb

: 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
Noun
The defender’s career, however, did not quite catapult. Michael Gehlken, Dallas News, 26 July 2023 Or building catapults to launch lunar dust into orbit around Earth and intercept the sun’s rays in the space near our planet. Popular Science, 9 Aug. 2023 In simpler times, the best gifts for your brother were a homemade card and a catapult built from sticks outside. Gaby Keiderling, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 July 2023 The Ford’s electromagnetic catapults are supposed to be capable of launching planes more effectively than older models. Sascha Brodsky, Popular Mechanics, 14 Mar. 2023 Lancets, launched from catapults, have a range of about 37 miles, Ihnat said. Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023 Further, while most Penguin UAS require a catapult launch, some Penguin C models feature Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) capabilities. Vikram Mittal, Forbes, 16 July 2023 But throughout her catapult to fame, Carangi — who was one of the first openly gay models, Dazed reported — struggled with addiction and substance abuse, including of cocaine and heroin. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 31 Jan. 2023 Apatow, who helped catapult actors like Steve Carrell and Seth Rogen to Hollywood superstardom, saw Reubens perform as Pee-wee in a stage show in the early 2010s. Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 31 July 2023
Verb
Williams, who was known for his high-speed wit and comedic genius, would take on the role of Mrs. Doubtfire in the early nineties and catapult the film to legendary success. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023 For all the collective brainpower on hand for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, there were no concrete answers to a pivotal question: Will AI turn be the springboard that catapults humanity to new heights, or the dystopian nightmare that culminates in its demise? Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2023 André 3000 acknowledged that the album will be a departure from the work that catapulted him to fame. Samantha Chery, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023 This catapulted her career, expanding into a TV show of the same name in 2011 on the Food Network, and spanning cookbooks, children’s books, a lifestyle magazine and a homeware and apparel line, to name a few. Audrey Schmidt, Peoplemag, 4 Nov. 2023 Her Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album wins at this year’s ceremony catapulted her to the forefront of the modern jazz conversation. Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 2 Nov. 2023 Her feats made Retton a household name and catapulted her into broadcast booths as a sports commentator, television shows as an actor and contestant, and even movie roles. Diana Dasrath, NBC News, 11 Oct. 2023 The massacre has catapulted Hamas’ lethal antisemitism and violent jihadi ideology into the spotlight. Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 11 Nov. 2023 Millions of people have downloaded Wrapped for Instagram — a third-party app not associated with the platform or its parent company, Meta — catapulting it to the top of the iOS App Store charts over the weekend. Angela Yang, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catapult.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French or Latin; Middle French catapulte, from Latin catapulta, from Greek katapaltēs, from kata- + pallein to hurl

First Known Use

Noun

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1848, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of catapult was in 1577

Dictionary Entries Near catapult

Cite this Entry

“Catapult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catapult. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

catapult

1 of 2 noun
cat·​a·​pult ˈkat-ə-ˌpəlt How to pronounce catapult (audio)
-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 verb
1
: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult
2
: to become catapulted
he catapulted to fame

More from Merriam-Webster on catapult

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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