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
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
His catapult into stardom took place in a closed-door meeting in Portland.
—Jason Quick, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026
Biden's bid for the presidential nomination was faltering until the victory catapulted him to the front of the field.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catapult
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Noun
Challenger sliced through a clear blue sky, away from the launch pad on a catapult of orange flame.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
His catapult into stardom took place in a closed-door meeting in Portland.
—Jason Quick, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
Jones made waves at the combine in 2015 with a record broad jump, catapulting himself into the first round.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026
Biden's bid for the presidential nomination was faltering until the victory catapulted him to the front of the field.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catapult
Cite this Entry
“Catapult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catapult. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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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