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
Emily Longeretta, Variety, 16 Oct. 2025
And not having my dad, really emotionally, was a big catapult to this whole thing.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
The ups and downs of the luxury market have catapulted Arnault up and down the billionaire list.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catapult
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Noun
The puppet both catapults Sam’s career and puts his well-being in peril.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 16 Oct. 2025
And not having my dad, really emotionally, was a big catapult to this whole thing.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
Orlean’s writing about Rajneeshpuram catapulted her to the national stage and led to calls from venues like Glamour and Vogue.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
The ups and downs of the luxury market have catapulted Arnault up and down the billionaire list.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 16 Oct. 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 Oct. 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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