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
Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
Our posts and comments about the campaign catapult American Eagle into the spotlight regardless of the company's intent, said Giana M. Eckhardt, a professor of marketing at King's College London.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 28 July 2025
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2025
Chad Michael Murray has been in the public eye for the past 25 years, ever since a short stint on Gilmore Girls catapulted him into the collective millennial consciousness.
—Marah Eakin, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catapult
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Noun
Meanwhile, China is testing its most advanced aircraft carrier, CNS Fujian, which features electromagnetic catapults for launching aircraft, similar to those on the Gerald R. Ford.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
Our posts and comments about the campaign catapult American Eagle into the spotlight regardless of the company's intent, said Giana M. Eckhardt, a professor of marketing at King's College London.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 28 July 2025
Verb
In recent years, young women have been catapulted into virality by showing off their outfits for rush events, known on a corner of the internet as #RushTok.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2025
Chad Michael Murray has been in the public eye for the past 25 years, ever since a short stint on Gilmore Girls catapulted him into the collective millennial consciousness.
—Marah Eakin, Vulture, 8 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 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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