catchall

noun, often attributive

catch·all | \ ˈkach-ˌȯl

How to pronounce catchall (audio)

, ˈkech- \

Definition of catchall

: something that holds or includes odds and ends or a wide variety of things a catchall tray dyspepsia is a catchall term for stomach discomfort

Examples of catchall in a Sentence

They used the drawer as a catchall for kitchen items. “The arts” is a catchall for a variety of activities from painting to music.

Recent Examples on the Web As a bonus, the bag can fit travel-sized shampoos and conditioners picked up throughout the trip, making it an easy catchall. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, "9 Gifts for Your Friend Who Quit Their Job to Backpack Through Southeast Asia," 10 Dec. 2019 Glass perfume bottles act as prismatic objets, and a marble slab styled with gold bijoux is part catchall, part art. — Jessica Dailey, ELLE Decor, "How to Turn Your Bedroom Into a Coastal Italian Retreat," 10 Sep. 2019 As other researchers have examined, this is likely a problem of policing becoming a sort of catchall solution to every single problem that our society has. — P.r. Lockhart, Vox, "Why police violence needs to be treated as a public health issue," 14 Aug. 2019 But Trump has long held an expansive view of executive power, and has cited Article II of the Constitution as a catchall that gives him wide latitude. — Anchorage Daily News, "Trump’s broad claims of executive immunity lead to criticism that he’s acting above the law," 9 Oct. 2019 Trump has long held an expansive view of executive power and has cited Article II of the Constitution, which defines the powers of the executive branch, as a catchall that gives him wide latitude. — BostonGlobe.com, "Trump’s lawyers draw a legal cloak around him - The Boston Globe," 8 Oct. 2019 Nearly half a century later, TIFF is still a great catchall for films that have shown at Sundance, Berlin and Cannes. — Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, "Want to know who will rule the upcoming awards season? Keep an eye on Toronto, the Oscar kingmaker.," 30 Aug. 2019 Chamoy is the catchall term for the bright red condiments one finds rimming micheladas, dripping from paletas, coating fruit slices and drizzled over tostilocos. — Hadley Tomicki, Los Angeles Times, "The ‘King of Gummies’ built his empire with chamoy and candy," 23 Aug. 2019 There’s even sets of chic boxes to use as catchalls atop dressers or tuck into media stands to hide miscellaneous items like remotes and routers. — Madeline Fass, Vogue, "13 Stylish and Practical Ways to Organize Any Space, Nook, or Cranny!," 15 July 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near catchall

catch-as-catch-can

Statistics for catchall

Last Updated

23 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Catchall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catchall. Accessed 21 Feb. 2020.

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