1
as in pregnant
containing unborn young within the body
after several years of trying to have a baby, the couple was surprised when they discovered she was caught
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrested
taken and held prisoner
after seeing how the caught soldiers had been treated, we resolved never to be taken alive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in grabbed
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in got
to become affected with (a disease or disorder)
you'll catch the flu for sure if you don't get a shot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stopped
to bring (something) to a standstill
I caught myself just as I was about to step into the freshly poured concrete
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in secured
to put securely in place or in a desired position
caught back her hair with a barrette
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in knew
to have a clear idea of
I didn't catch the point you were making about our nation's foreign policy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in tricked
to cause to believe what is untrue
a number of media outlets were caught by the woman's hard-luck story
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in encountered
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face
I'll catch you at the library tomorrow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in noticed
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in chased
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
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 caught
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Getting convicted of bribery in America requires some serious effort—take former Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, who was convicted of selling influence on behalf of local businesses and the country of Egypt after being caught with gold bars in his house.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
The kick would be a field goal place kick with a holder or a drop kick from the spot where the returner caught the ball.
—Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
The video then shows the girl being caught by an officer and taken to safety.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Gelman says the record paperwork has been filed with the state, and his fish should top the current record, which weighed 42 pounds 13 ounces and was caught back in 1997.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Feb. 2026
Whitney, an American Tom Ripley in London, realizes he’s been caught.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
The body camera footage has caught social media's attention since being released, with clips from the video circulating on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X, garnering thousands of views.
—Ryan Hansen, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
When factoring in the exclusion date, the data shows that Arizona has not paid out any claims to providers once they were caught.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Getting convicted of bribery in America requires some serious effort—take former Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, who was convicted of selling influence on behalf of local businesses and the country of Egypt after being caught with gold bars in his house.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
The kick would be a field goal place kick with a holder or a drop kick from the spot where the returner caught the ball.
—Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
The video then shows the girl being caught by an officer and taken to safety.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Gelman says the record paperwork has been filed with the state, and his fish should top the current record, which weighed 42 pounds 13 ounces and was caught back in 1997.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Feb. 2026
Whitney, an American Tom Ripley in London, realizes he’s been caught.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
The body camera footage has caught social media's attention since being released, with clips from the video circulating on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X, garnering thousands of views.
—Ryan Hansen, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caught
Adjective
-
Cory Daniels, 26, was booked into the Tarrant County Jail on Wednesday and has been charged with capital murder of multiple persons in the death of 29-year-old Bre’Asia Johnson, who was pregnant.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Johnson, pregnant at the time, was taken to a local hospital and later died.—
Suryatapa Chakraborty,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Podziemski scored 19 points, had six assists and grabbed eight rebounds while helping the Warriors bounce back from a loss to New Orleans the night before.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The report stated that Paul Gardella allegedly grabbed a knife from the kitchen and threatened his ex-wife.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Birmingham lost twice to El Camino Real in league play and got a third chance when South East and Marquez forfeited their semifinal game, forcing the City Section to reinstate Birmingham, which had lost to Marquez in the first round.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The downtown Dallas dinner spot got a jolt again when chef-owner Paul Ko hired RJ Yoakum, formerly of Dallas restaurant Georgie.—
Sarah Blaskovich,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Joel Farabee and Yegor Sharangovich scored for the Flames in regulation, and Cooley stopped 34 shots.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Since then, outbreaks here and there have generally been stopped quickly.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Robertson secured the second point for Dallas, slamming home a pass by Miro Heiskanen in overtime.—
Lia Assimakopoulos,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
-
That 72-46 win March 2, 2025 at Moody Center secured Texas a share of the SEC championship and the Longhorns celebrated afterward with a trophy presentation and cupcakes for head coach Vic Schaefer's 64th birthday.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Collaery said Duggan was unaware of Su Bin’s hacking operations and knew him at the time as an employment broker for a Chinese state aviation company.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
-
An Hour-Long Fight Yields Massive Surprise The moment the bite came, Kenny knew this was different.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The scam reportedly tricked Russian drone operators into giving away the location of their Starlink terminals, allowing Ukrainian artillery and drones to target them.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The people staffing the scam centers might have been tricked by a false job ad.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While most associations have not encountered this situation to date, being informed and prepared will help prevent confusion, protect resident privacy, and reduce legal risk.—
Peter S. Sachs,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Three Austin Police Department officers encountered a suspect armed with a gun on the street near Buford's Bar, police said at an earlier news conference.—
Tristan Maglunog,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Caught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caught. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
