Thesaurus

catch

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of catch

1 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 of catch

booby trap, catch-22, gimmick, gotcha, hitch, joker, land mine, pitfall, snag

Words Related to catch

snare, trap, trip wire, web

hazard, peril, risk

bomb, bombshell, kicker, surprise (also surprize)

bait, decoy, lure

2 someone or something unusually desirable

everyone thought the captain of the football team was a real catch

Synonyms of catch

gem, jewel, pearl, plum, prize, treasure

Words Related to catch

blessing, find, godsend, goody (or goodie), valuable, windfall

booty, loot, plunder, spoil, swag

gold, jackpot, prize money, treasure trove

Near Antonyms of catch

3 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 of catch

bounty, haul, take, yield

Words Related to catch

earnings, gain, gross, income, net, payoff, proceeds, profit, receipts, return, revenue, winnings

booty, loot, plunder, spoils, swag

appropriation, collection

Near Antonyms of catch

deduction, loss, subtraction

catch

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of catch

1 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 of catch

bag, capture, collar, cop [slang], corral, get, glom, grab, grapple, hook, land, nab, nail, net, nobble [British slang], rap, seize, snag, snap (up), snare, snatch, trap

Words Related to catch

glove, halter, lasso, rope

apprehend, arrest, detain

clasp, clutch, fasten (on), fist, grasp, grip, hold, latch (on or onto), secure

enmesh (also immesh), ensnare, entangle, entrap, mesh

abduct, kidnap, spirit (away or off)

Phrases Synonymous with catch

take hold (of)

Near Antonyms of catch

discharge, free, liberate, release

drop, loosen, unhand

Antonyms of catch

2 to become affected with (a disease or disorder)

youʼll catch the flu for sure if you donʼt get a shot

Synonyms of catch

come down (with), contract, get, go down (with) [chiefly British], sicken (with), take

Words Related to catch

break out (with)

die (from), succumb (to)

fail, languish, sink, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither, worsen

Near Antonyms of catch

come back, gain, heal, mend, recoup, recover, recuperate, snap back

rally, rebound, recover (from), shake (off)

3 to bring (something) to a standstill

I caught myself just as I was about to step into the freshly poured concrete

Synonyms of catch

arrest, bring up, check, draw up, fetch up, halt, hold up, pull up, stall, stay, still, stop

Words Related to catch

baffle, balk, block, blockade, bottleneck, clog, dam, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, obstruct, snag, stem

conclude, cut off, end, terminate

call, discontinue, suspend

choke off, rein (in), repress, squash, squelch, stanch (or staunch), stunt, suppress, turn back

Near Antonyms of catch

carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep (on), keep up, persist, run on

advance, fare, go along, march, move, proceed, progress, wend

actuate, budge, drive, goad, impel, propel, push, spur, stir

4 to put securely in place or in a desired position

caught back her hair with a barrette

Synonyms of catch

anchor, clamp, fasten, fix, hitch, moor, secure, set

Words Related to catch

embed (also imbed), entrench (also intrench), implant, ingrain (also engrain), lodge, stuff, wedge

Near Antonyms of catch

extract, prize, pry, pull, root (out), tear (out), uproot, wrest, yank

Antonyms of catch

loose, loosen, unfasten, unfix, unloose, unloosen

5 to have a clear idea of

I didnʼt catch the point you were making about our nationʼs foreign policy

Synonyms of catch

appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, behold, catch on (to), cognize, compass, comprehend, conceive, cotton (to or on to), decipher, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, grok, intuit, know, make, make out, perceive, recognize, register, savvy, see, seize, sense, tumble (to), twig, understand

Words Related to catch

absorb, digest, take in

fathom, penetrate, pierce

Phrases Synonymous with catch

pick up on

Near Antonyms of catch

misapprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misperceive, misread, mistake, misunderstand

Antonyms of catch

6 to cause to believe what is untrue

a number of media outlets were caught by the woman's hard-luck story

Synonyms of catch

bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, con, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on [chiefly British], hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, suck in, sucker, take in, trick

Words Related to catch

kid, put on, tease

bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, flam, fleece, gyp, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindle

Phrases Synonymous with catch

do a number on, lead one down the garden path (also lead one up the garden path), pull one's leg, pull the wool over one's eyes

Near Antonyms of catch

debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask

disclose, divulge, tell, unveil

disabuse, disenchant, disillusion

Antonyms of catch

7 to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face

I'll catch you at the library tomorrow

Synonyms of catch

chance (upon), encounter, happen (upon), meet, stumble (upon)

Words Related to catch

accost, confront

face, greet, salute

collide (with), crash (into)

crisscross, cross, pass

hit (upon), light (upon), tumble (to)

reencounter, remeet

Phrases Synonymous with catch

bump into, cross paths (with), run across, run into, run upon

Near Antonyms of catch

avoid, dodge, duck, elude, escape, evade, shake, shun

8 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

Synonyms of catch

behold, descry, discern, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, remark, see, sight, spot, spy, view, witness

Words Related to catch

identify, make out, pick out, pick up

attend (to), consider, heed, mark, mind

examine, inspect, scan, scrutinize, survey

glance (at), glimpse, peer (at)

Phrases Synonymous with catch

get a load of [slang], lay eyes on, set eyes on

Near Antonyms of catch

disregard, ignore, neglect, overpass, pass over

9 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 of catch

catch up (with), overhaul, overtake

Words Related to catch

Near Antonyms of catch

Synonym Discussion of catch

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

Learn More about catch

See words that rhyme with catch Dictionary: Definition of catch Spanish Central: Translation of catch Nglish: Translation of catch for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of catch for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about catch

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up catch? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments

WORD OF THE DAY

atone

to make amends

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games