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
Matthew Bodner, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
In comparison, the US Navy’s aircraft carriers still await electromagnetic catapults to launch F-35 stealth fighters.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
The announcement coincides with the 30th anniversary of the release of No Doubt’s seminal sophomore album Tragic Kingdom, which catapulted the foursome to stardom, an accompanying press release detailed.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catapult
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Noun
The dramatic thump of the ship’s four electromagnetic catapults which shoot them into the sky is constant and can be heard throughout the ship.
—Matthew Bodner, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
In comparison, the US Navy’s aircraft carriers still await electromagnetic catapults to launch F-35 stealth fighters.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
The reunion wasn’t enough to catapult the Rangers back into playoff position last spring, but Drury decided to double down by naming Miller the 29th captain in franchise history on the eve of training camp.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
The announcement coincides with the 30th anniversary of the release of No Doubt’s seminal sophomore album Tragic Kingdom, which catapulted the foursome to stardom, an accompanying press release detailed.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 10 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 17 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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