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
Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2025
Now, almost a decade later and on the fifth and final season of the show that catapulted them to fame, the young men of Stranger Things have firmly established their own individual styles.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 19 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
Peso and Tito unleash a riveting corrido — rooted in their horns-heavy signature corrido sound that catapulted them to stardom in the first place — that presents the pair as a dynasty.
—Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2025
Now, almost a decade later and on the fifth and final season of the show that catapulted them to fame, the young men of Stranger Things have firmly established their own individual styles.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 19 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 27 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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