catch 1 of 2

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

catch

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noun

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb catch contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of catch are bag, capture, ensnare, entrap, snare, and trap. While all these words 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

Where would bag be a reasonable alternative to catch?

The words bag and catch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

When is capture a more appropriate choice than catch?

While the synonyms capture and catch are close in meaning, capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

How are the words entrap and ensnare related as synonyms of catch?

Both entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question
a sting operation that ensnared burglars

How is trap related to other words for catch?

Trap, snare, entrap, and 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of catch
Verb
Harris, who lives three doors down from a unit that caught fire, said he was told that his unit appeared to only have cosmetic damage. Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 June 2025 Special teams and the crazy switching up of the D Pairs after the first two, very even games has been the story of the series so far for me A Andrew K. · 42m ago Maple Leafs catching strays. Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 16 June 2025
Noun
His overall year was very good, but Pro Football Focus reported declines in yards per route run and yards after the catch. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 June 2025 Holy Cross right fielder Cam DiGiacomo made a diving catch to rob Keaton Kroll of a bloop single to lead-off the inning and Chance ripped a single up the middle to put the winning run on base. Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for catch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch
Verb
  • In the few months since its launch, JD.com has grabbed 7.5% of China’s food-delivery market after its daily meal orders reached 20 million on May 13, according to a May 14 research note from Blue Lotus Capital Advisors.
    Yue Wang, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • In Monday night’s first quarter after falling to the court, Haliburton winced and grabbed his lower right leg.
    Shakeia Taylor, New York Times, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • Daniels gets his guy Aiyuk, who's the younger, and potentially better receiver.
    Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
  • As New York closed in on Tuesday's vote, more investors got nervous as the polls showed Mamdani was leading.
    Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • Nearly as important, though, is the fact that streaming continues to be a sizable fount of new viewers even after on-air and DVR viewing essentially stops.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2025
  • California lawmakers are looking to stop local police officers and federal agents from wearing face masks or coverings while carrying out operations in the state.
    Billal Rahman Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • Resources will be committed through the night working on securing and implementing containment lines and mopping up.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2025
  • With an empty net, Florida secured two more goals and won their second title with a 5-1 victory.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • The Trump administration said the strikes destroyed Iran's nuclear infrastructure, but the full extent of the damage is not known.
    Sonam Sheth Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
  • Shahn was known as a social realist: a painter of hardscrabble life who registered every spasm and twitch of the body politic, from the Great Depression to Vietnam.
    Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • That was the crux of the latest Gmail attack, tricking users into sharing codes.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • But rather than trying to trick users into heading to a fake website, the visitor is instead taken to the brand's legitimate website, with a small but dangerous difference.
    Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • Researchers with the organization scanned 700 miles of Lake Michigan using sonar technology and used models to recreate the weather patterns that Flight 2501 would have encountered the night of the crash.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 28 June 2025
  • The law also gave the Advocate the authority and responsibility to make Congress aware of recurring, unresolved problems and difficulties taxpayers encounter in dealing with the IRS.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Authorities were first alerted to a potential issue after Disneyland Paris staff noticed that the bride at a pre-scheduled wedding appeared alarmingly young, per The Sunday Times.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 23 June 2025
  • But once the group noticed that Ginny had already died and turned to a zombie, Maggie could not finish the job, and instead handed her knife to Negan to finish off the young girl.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 23 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Catch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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