catch

verb

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\ ˈkach

, ˈkech \

caught\ ˈkȯt

also ˈkät \; catching

Definition of catch

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to capture or seize especially after pursuit catch a thief

b : to take or entangle in or as if in a snare catch fish in a net

c : deceive

d : to discover unexpectedly : find caught in the act

e : to check (oneself) suddenly or momentarily He started to say the wrong thing but quickly caught himself.

f : to become suddenly aware of caught me looking at him

2a : to take hold of : seize He caught her by the arm as she tripped.

b : to affect suddenly The announcement caught me by surprise.

c : to grasp and hold on to (something in motion) catch a fly ball

d : to avail oneself of : take caught the first opportunity to leave

e : to obtain through effort : get catch a ride

f : to overtake unexpectedly —usually used in the passivewas caught in a storm

g : to get entangled catch a sleeve on a nail

3 : to become affected by: such as

a : contract catch a cold

b : to respond sympathetically to the point of being imbued (see imbue sense 2) with catch the spirit of an occasion

c : to be struck by He caught a bullet in the leg.

d : to be subjected to : receive catch hell

4a : to take in and retain a barrel to catch rainwater

b : fasten catch back a curtain

5 : to take or get usually momentarily or quickly catch a glimpse of a friend catch a nap

6a : overtake catch the leader in a race

b : to get aboard in time catch the bus

7 : to attract and hold : arrest, engage caught their attention The glint of the gold in each case caught my eye, you see.— Arthur Conan Doyle

8 : to make contact with : strike The pitch caught him in the back.

9a : to grasp by the senses or the mind you catch what I mean? didn't catch the name

b : to apprehend and fix by artistic means The new portrait catches her likeness perfectly.

10a : see, watch catch a game on TV

b : to listen to caught the last part of the concert

11 : to serve as a catcher for in baseball caught both ends of the doubleheader

12 : to meet with catch you later

intransitive verb

1 : to grasp hastily or try to grasp

2 : to become caught The kite caught in the tree branches.

3 : to catch fire

4 : to play the position of catcher on a baseball team

5 : kick over the engine caught

catch a crab

: to fail to raise an oar clear of the water on recovery of a stroke

catch dead

: to find or see at any time —used in strongly negative constructionswouldn't be caught dead in that shirt

catch fire

1 : to become ignited

2 : to become fired with enthusiasm

3 : to increase greatly in scope, popularity, interest, or effectiveness this stock has not caught fire—yet — Forbes

catch it

: to incur blame, reprimand, or punishment He'll really catch it from the boss if he's late again.

catch one's breath

: to rest long enough to restore normal breathing broadly : to rest after a period of intense activity

catch

noun

Definition of catch (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : something caught especially : the total quantity caught at one time a large catch of fish

2a : the act, action, or fact of catching The shortstop made a tough catch.

b : a game in which a ball is thrown and caught played catch with his dad

3 : something that checks or holds immovable a safety catch

4 : one worth catching especially as a spouse

5 : a round for three or more unaccompanied usually male voices often with suggestive or obscene lyrics

6 : fragment, snatch remembered only catches of the song

7 : a concealed difficulty or complication there must be a catch

8 : a momentary audible break in the voice or breath

Other Words from catch Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about catch

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Choose the Right Synonym for catch

Verb

catch, capture, trap, snare, entrap, ensnare, bag mean to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing. catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding. caught the dog as it ran by capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty. capture an enemy stronghold trap, snare, entrap, ensnare imply seizing by some device that holds the one caught at the mercy of the captor. trap and snare apply more commonly to physical seizing. trap animals snared butterflies with a net entrap and ensnare more often are figurative. entrapped the witness with a trick question a sting operation that ensnared burglars bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey. bagged a brace of pheasants

Examples of catch in a Sentence

Verb Catch the ball and throw it to first base. She caught the ball with one hand. I dropped the book but managed to catch it before it hit the ground. I'll throw you the keys. Ready? Catch! He caught hold of her wrist. The police are working hard to catch the criminals and put them in jail. “I bet you can't catch me!” she yelled to her brother. I once caught 10 fish in a single day. In the summer, we would catch fireflies and put them in jars. I caught her just as she was leaving for work. Noun The shortstop made a tough catch. She used to play catch with her dad. Let's play a game of catch. a catch of about 20 fish

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Anyone who wants to catch a glimpse of the king tide should stand a comfortable distance away from the coastline, Pi said. — Lauren Hernández, SFChronicle.com, "San Francisco to see nearly 7 foot king tides Sunday and Monday," 14 Nov. 2020 Another 600,000 people poured into the streets of London, eager to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds’ carriage procession. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, "14 Fun Facts About Princess Diana’s Wedding," 13 Nov. 2020 During Crew Dragon's last mission in May, thousands of people packed into tight crowds on public beaches to catch a glimpse of fiery takeoff. — Jackie Wattles, CNN, "SpaceX-NASA launch: What to know ahead of Saturday's Crew Dragon astronaut mission," 13 Nov. 2020 The streets of London were flooded with around 600,000 people trying to catch a glimpse of Prince Charles and the bride-to-be on their special day. — Chanel Vargas, Town & Country, "Everything You Need to Know About Princess Diana's Wedding," 13 Nov. 2020 The Golden State is ranked among the top states in the country for those looking to catch a glimpse of the sasquatch, with some 1,697 sightings. — Fox News, "Bigfoot statue stolen from California museum, police warn 'keep your eyes peeled'," 12 Nov. 2020 Global networks of telescopes are poised to catch more of these intense surges, both within and outside the Milky Way. — National Geographic, "Mysterious radio signal spotted in Milky Way for first time," 4 Nov. 2020 And fishers will need to catch more of them to meet their weight quotas. — Chelsea Harvey, Scientific American, "Double Whammy of Warming, Overfishing Could Spell Disaster for Antarctic Krill," 27 Oct. 2020 Throngs of supporters lined the streets outside of Palm Beach County's main library in West Palm Beach to catch a glimpse of Trump, who was wearing a mask and flanked by a team of bodyguards, entering the polling station. — Spencer Neale, Washington Examiner, "'I voted for a guy named Trump': President casts ballot in Florida," 24 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun In five game this season, Jackson has 27 catches for 539 yards, a 19.96-yard per-catch average, and 7 touchdowns along with 4 pancake blocks. — Richard Davenport, Arkansas Online, "Numbers continue to grow as seasons slowly wind down," 13 Nov. 2020 White had 196 of his 223 yards this season, including a 30-yard score, against Michigan and is averaging 22.3 yards per catch. — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, "Why Michigan State football is airing it out this season: 'It just hypes the whole team'," 13 Nov. 2020 Metcalf is tied for second with eight touchdowns and tied for third with an average of 18.3 yards per catch. — Gary Klein Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "When it comes to Jalen Ramsey, Rams hope they have Seattle’s DK Metcalf covered," 13 Nov. 2020 The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder has been stellar during his senior season at Mansfield Summit, with 19 receptions for 468 yards and nine touchdowns in five games while averaging 24.6 yards per catch. — Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, "Auburn picks up commitment from Texas wide receiver," 12 Nov. 2020 Bateman is a big receiver (6-2, 210) with excellent hands who was eighth in the country with 20.3 yards per catch in 2019. — Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, "2021 NFL Mock Draft: First-round projections," 11 Nov. 2020 Pierce, who led the Bearcats with 652 receiving yards and a 17.6 yards-per-catch average in 2019, missed the first three games of this season with a knee injury. — Keith Jenkins, The Enquirer, "UC Football notebook: Bearcats QB Desmond Ridder adds to his list of accolades," 11 Nov. 2020 Pearce quarterback Burke Wahlberg is the No. 2 passer with 2,004 yards and 20 touchdowns while Jack Livingstone is the No. 6 receiver and averaging 18.69 yards per catch. — Tess Demeyer, Dallas News, "Stats don’t tell the whole story, but a look at 7-6A’s numbers says there are some intriguing matchups this week," 10 Nov. 2020 Shifty with an explosive burst, Hemby carried the ball 105 times for 729 yards (6.9 yards per catch) and 12 touchdowns and finished with 28 receptions for 348 yards and four scores. — Katherine Fominykh, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore-area high school football preview: Season to kick off in abbreviated fashion," 4 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'catch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

19 Nov 2020

Cite this Entry

“Catch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catch. Accessed 26 Nov. 2020.

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More Definitions for catch

catch

verb

English Language Learners Definition of catch

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to use your hands to stop and hold (an object that is moving through the air)

: to use your hands to grasp and hold onto (someone or something)

: to capture and not allow (a person, animal, or fish) to escape

catch

noun

English Language Learners Definition of catch (Entry 2 of 2)

: a hidden problem that makes something more complicated or difficult to do

: the act of stopping a moving object (such as a ball) and holding it in your hands : the act of catching something

: a game in which two or more people throw and catch a ball

See the full definition for catch in the English Language Learners Dictionary

catch

verb

\ ˈkach

, ˈkech \

caught\ ˈkȯt \; catching

Kids Definition of catch

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to capture and hold catch a ball catch fish

2 : to discover unexpectedly A policeman caught them breaking the window.

3 : to stop suddenly before doing something I caught myself before blurting out the secret.

4 : to take hold of As I was falling, Grandma caught my arm.

5 : to become affected by catch fire catch a cold

6 : to take or get briefly or quickly He caught a glimpse of the actor.

7 : to be in time for I'll catch the next bus.

8 : to grasp by the senses or the mind I didn't catch what you said.

9 : to play catcher on a baseball team

10 : to get tangled She caught her sleeve on a nail.

11 : to hold firmly : fasten The lock will not catch.

12 : to recover by resting I need to catch my breath.

catch on

1 : to realize something I finally caught on that he was teasing me.

2 : to become popular The new toy caught on quickly.

catch up

: to move or progress fast enough to join another

catch

noun

Kids Definition of catch (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : something caught : the amount caught at one time a large catch of fish

2 : the act of catching The shortstop made a great catch.

3 : a pastime in which a ball is thrown and caught

4 : something that checks, fastens, or holds immovable a catch on a door

5 : a hidden difficulty Dad got a raise, but there's a catch. He needs more training.

Choose the Right Synonym for catch

Verb

catch, capture, and trap mean to get possession or control of by or as if by seizing. catch is used for the act of trying to seize something or someone that is moving or hiding. Catch that dog! capture is used when there is a struggle or some other kind of difficulty. Police officers captured the robbers as they tried to flee. trap is used when there is use of a device that catches and holds the prey. He made a living by trapping animals.