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, 3 Sep. 2025
But their audition catapults Nesi back in time three hundred years, to the Occupation of Oranoya by the fascist Zeminis.
—Natalie Zutter
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
Multiple winning streaks of 10-plus games have catapulted the Brewers to first place in the National League Central and have given them the best record in MLB.
—Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catapult
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Noun
Designed for catapult launches and carrier deck operations, the stealth jet significantly expands the strike capability of China’s aircraft carriers, particularly the new Fujian.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
But their audition catapults Nesi back in time three hundred years, to the Occupation of Oranoya by the fascist Zeminis.
—Natalie Zutter
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
The Padres hadn’t won since Pivetta last climbed a mound on Wednesday in San Francisco, a blowout that catapulted the team into first place in the NL West this deep into a season for the first time since 2010.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
Multiple winning streaks of 10-plus games have catapulted the Brewers to first place in the National League Central and have given them the best record in MLB.
—Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 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 6 Sep. 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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