1
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
we tried to catch the kitten before she could sneak out the door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to get
to become affected with (a disease or disorder)
you'll catch the flu for sure if you don't get a shot
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to stop
to bring (something) to a standstill
I caught myself just as I was about to step into the freshly poured concrete
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4
as in to secure
to put securely in place or in a desired position
caught back her hair with a barrette
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5
as in to know
to have a clear idea of
I didn't catch the point you were making about our nation's foreign policy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to trick
to cause to believe what is untrue
a number of media outlets were caught by the woman's hard-luck story
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7
as in to encounter
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face
I'll catch you at the library tomorrow
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8
as in to notice
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
I looked out the window just in time to catch the neighbor's dog digging up my flower bed
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9
as in to chase
to move fast enough to get even with
despite the suspect's considerable lead, the fleet-footed police officer was able to catch him and make an arrest
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1
as in hitch
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized
the catch is that you have to come up with the money by tomorrow
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2
as in prize
someone or something unusually desirable
everyone thought the captain of the football team was a real catch
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3
as in haul
the total amount collected or obtained especially at one time
the total catch for our day at the creek was six fish and a crab
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of catch
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
In June 2025, a skier died after being caught in an avalanche on Alaska's Mount McKinley, North America's tallest peak.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
Westbrook-Ikhine had just 11 catches for 89 yards and didn’t find the end zone in his time with Miami.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catch
Verb
As a matter of perspective, if the Celtics close 14-14 the rest of the way, the Heat would have to go 21-5 to catch the Celtics, considering Boston already has clinched the season-series tiebreaker.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
In June 2025, a skier died after being caught in an avalanche on Alaska's Mount McKinley, North America's tallest peak.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
In that postseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Hill finished with seven catches for 69 yards in that 34-31 loss.
—Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
Westbrook-Ikhine had just 11 catches for 89 yards and didn’t find the end zone in his time with Miami.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch
Verb
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Neely tried to grab Belt-Stubblefield by the neck and take him to the ground, but the officer is the one who fell, according to the notice of claim.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
24 Feb. 2026
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Melvin Trotter walked in and began rifling through the cash register, grabbing about $100 and some food stamps.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Officials are also trying to make sure that the electronic logging devices drivers use are accurate, and that states are following all the regulations to ensure drivers are qualified to get commercial licenses.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
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Book recalls Epstein's threat to harm her brother At 16, Roberts Giuffre got a job as a locker room attendant at a nearby resort, Mar-a-Lago, where her father was a maintenance man.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Venezuela - once Cuba's top supplier - effectively stopped sending shipments in mid-December.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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The government also stopped collecting and reporting crucial survey findings on transgender students — data that have shown higher rates of depression, drug use, bullying and other problems.—
Mike Stobbe,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In this case though, thousands of corporations, including Costco, have preemptively sued the US government in an effort to secure their stake in a refund without having to put their reputation on the line as Schwartz and Woldenberg have.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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But Batum missed a potential tying three-pointer, and James got the rebound to secure the win.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The group also used signals from what's known as an avalanche beacon, which allows skiers to send radio signals so they can be tracked by first responders.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
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Our Local Group — like all galaxy groups and galaxy clusters — will experience this, eventually creating a super-galaxy known as Milkdromeda.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Extreme Weather Protection Mother Nature can trick us and send in one last big cold front in late winter.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
18 Feb. 2026
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Hill and Bowman run through all those reasons people use to avoid exercise, work through how the brain is trying to trick you and explain how to overcome that particular trap.—
Leying Tang,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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They’re typically encountered at ports of entry by federal agents, and receive notices to appear in immigration court, usually in one to three years.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
22 Feb. 2026
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The gold also caps off a four-year cycle during which Gu struggled with panic attacks and encountered online trolling in both the United States and China, where some citizens see her as a privileged interloper.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Leaphorn then notices a radiator leak, and says that whoever sped off couldn't have gone far.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
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Of course, most of them have been too drunk to notice.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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