as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
we're always having drop-in guests at our beachfront cottage, and sleeping arrangements tend to be catch-as-catch-can
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Recent Examples of catch-as-catch-can
Here’s the writer Nick Paumgarten trying to drum up a Talk of the Town piece by wandering through the East Village and questioning random New Yorkers about what’s on their minds, a catch-as-catch-can method that, in its way, reflects the magazine’s democratic openness.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025
There’s a certain catch-as-catch-can ephemerality to this work, which tends to appear for quick two- or three-day engagements, sometimes in familiar places—Lincoln Center’s dizzying Festival of Firsts (in the David Rubenstein Atrium, through Oct. 23), for instance—and sometimes farther afield.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
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
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025
There’s a certain catch-as-catch-can ephemerality to this work, which tends to appear for quick two- or three-day engagements, sometimes in familiar places—Lincoln Center’s dizzying Festival of Firsts (in the David Rubenstein Atrium, through Oct. 23), for instance—and sometimes farther afield.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch-as-catch-can
Adjective
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Brouk & Co Pearl Travel Jewelry Case Admittedly, my jewelry is often treated as an afterthought during travel, floating at the bottom of my toiletry bag or in a random duffel pocket.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
15 Jan. 2026
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Days after the window for FIFA’s latest ticketing phase — its random selection draw — closed Tuesday, the governing body’s ticketing strategy continues to face sharp criticism over prices and process.—
Eric Prisbell,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Its fractured, scattered form, grasping for structure instead of pretending to master it, is an attempt to build a future that will include both author and reader.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
1 Jan. 2026
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On Sunday, rain will pick up across the Midwest from Kansas and Missouri through Ohio and Pennsylvania while scattered thunderstorms are possible from Arkansas up to Ohio, with some possibly strong enough to bring gusty winds and maybe an isolated tornado.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
27 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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As anyone who has tried can attest, building anything these days, whether a house or a commercial project, requires navigating a complex labyrinth of regulations, enduring a long and grueling and extremely costly, and often arbitrary, multilayered approval, review, and permitting process.—
Lee Steinhauer,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
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International organizations have said Israel’s rules are arbitrary and could endanger staff.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catch-as-catch-can.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-as-catch-can. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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