catapult

noun

cat·a·pult | \ ˈka-tə-ˌpəlt

, -ˌpu̇lt\

Definition of catapult

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an ancient military device for hurling missiles

2 : a device for launching an airplane at flying speed (as from an aircraft carrier)

catapult

verb

catapulted; catapulting; catapults

Definition of catapult (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to become catapulted he catapulted to fame

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about catapult

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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

Other activities include make-your-own bubble mix, a tie-dye station, testing of the properties of different slime recipes and paint-ball catapults. — Susan Dunne, courant.com, "Ooey, gooey, slimy, grimy: It’s a 2-day Mess Fest for kids at CT Science Center," 19 June 2019 And often, from inside the walls, great stone balls would answer back from the defender's own catapults, aimed directly at the attacker's stone throwers. — William Gurstelle, Popular Mechanics, "How to Storm a Castle," 11 Apr. 2019 Zero-to-60 mph acceleration is 8.1 seconds, a flaming catapult of temperance. — Dan Neil, WSJ, "Lexus ES 300h: Spend on the Luxury, Save on Gas Money," 24 Jan. 2019 The 65,000 ships are the largest warships ever built in the U.K. One odd feature (or lack thereof) on the two carriers is the absence of aircraft catapults and arresting gear. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "U.K. F-35s Will Use Strange Rolling Carrier Landings," 16 Oct. 2018 Helicopter or tilt-rotor carrier landings do not require the same amount of preparation as that needed for a C-2 landing; there is no need for a catapult and a tilt-rotor naturally has a much wider envelope with which to maneuver. — Kris Osborn, Fox News, "Marines will fly Osprey until 2060, prepping the aircraft for future wars," 18 Sep. 2018 Take a look: The catapult is the first of its kind anywhere in the world, says operator AJ Hackett Bungy NZ. — Paul Brady, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Nevis Catapult Is New Zealand’s Most Insane Thrill Ride," 7 Aug. 2018 Aircraft launched by catapults can get airborne and with greater quantities of fuel and ammunition, giving them an advantage over Chinese planes, which rely on their own power when lifting off from the Liaoning's ski-jump. — Ben Westcott And Brad Lendon, CNN, "China's first homegrown aircraft carrier heads out for sea trial," 12 May 2018 The robot is designed like a catapult to throw the ball to home plate. — Alec Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A robot built by Arrowhead students is throwing out the first pitch at the June 15 Brewers game," 15 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Bournemouth's Player of the Season, a player to potentially catapult Arsenal's upcoming season? — SI.com, "Arsenal Signings: Assessing the Gunners' Transfer Targets (and How Unlikely They Are to Happen)," 23 June 2019 While a monochromatic pop of color on the eyes can skew retro, canceling out one's natural arches can instantly catapult the look into exquisitely extraterrestrial territory. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "The Futuristic Way to Wear Colorful Eye Makeup, According to the Valentino Runway," 4 Mar. 2019 May this easy planning trick catapult you into great meal prep habits. 2. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "All the Different Ways to Thaw Chicken Breasts, Ranked," 5 Jan. 2019 And the acquisition would catapult Takeda, which has few late-stage experimental drugs in its own pipeline, into the ranks of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies. — Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, "Takeda, Shire agree on $62 billion takeover deal," 8 May 2018 That rise would catapult Alabama to the number six spot in the country. — Trisha Powell Crain, AL.com, "Outnumbered greatly for years, Alabama women stepping up for statehouse seats," 10 Feb. 2018 His recruitment has taken on a similar feel to that of class of 2016 wide receiver Dillon Mitchell, a highly-productive three-star prospect from the South whose stock exploded late and catapulted him into the top-100 on Rivals. — oregonlive.com, "Trey Benson, fast-rising 3-star RB, commits to Oregon Ducks over Florida State, Penn State, others," 14 June 2019 Avant has also been an active political fundraiser for Democratic candidates— Barack Obama even credits Avant with getting him into the 2004 Democratic Convention primetime slot, which catapulted him to the national spotlight. — Liz Cantrell, Town & Country, "Was Clarence Avant the Music Industry's Most Powerful Player?," 13 June 2019 Choose Your Own Adventure-style shows have been catapulted back into popularity by Netflix’s recent Bandersnatch, a feature-length Black Mirror film about the development of a video game with a similarly branching narrative. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "Refinery29 is turning its Money Diaries finance column into an interactive show," 14 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'catapult.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.