: using any available means or method : hit-or-miss
a catch-as-catch-can system that relies on borrowed judgesPatricia Nealon

Examples of catch-as-catch-can in a Sentence

we're always having drop-in guests at our beachfront cottage, and sleeping arrangements tend to be catch-as-catch-can
Recent Examples on the Web Prison is a kind of black-comedic version of a factory: in contrast to the catch-as-catch-can prisons of preindustrial times, everyone is assigned a role and compelled to conformity through regimentation or isolation. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024 The old days of barnstorming teams playing catch-as-catch-can schedules was no longer an acceptable business model. Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 June 2024 Cone collection, done by local residents who are paid by the bushel, is a catch-as-catch-can kind of business. Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024 Their thorny flawed catch-as-catch-can humanity now stands in stark contrast to the majority of movies that have been spun off from comic books over the last 40 years. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catch-as-catch-can.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of catch-as-catch-can was in 1833

Dictionary Entries Near catch-as-catch-can

Cite this Entry

“Catch-as-catch-can.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catch-as-catch-can. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

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