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
Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 May 2026
Before that drama began, however, five of the first six outs of the game were grounders to Deegan, which caught the eye of Dundee-Crown coach Andrew Zimmer.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026
Other close Gulf allies were also caught off guard.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 7 May 2026
And the two have just been caught in that from the beginning.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 7 May 2026
As a graduate student at Harvard Business School in 1992, his classmates caught him tampering with votes to help elect himself president of a prestigious student organization, the Finance Club.
—Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
Vaillancourt Fountain, a Brutalist, pre-cast concrete fountain that’s been the central feature of San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza since 1971, caught fire on Wednesday morning as it was being disassembled, according to reports.
—News Desk, Artforum, 7 May 2026
Flames first caught in the kitchen, where the oven was being used to heat the house, according to the agency.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
Verb
And Bona, a second-year reserve, got caught too many times reaching in the cookie jar while defending Towns.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 May 2026
Before that drama began, however, five of the first six outs of the game were grounders to Deegan, which caught the eye of Dundee-Crown coach Andrew Zimmer.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026
Other close Gulf allies were also caught off guard.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 7 May 2026
And the two have just been caught in that from the beginning.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 7 May 2026
As a graduate student at Harvard Business School in 1992, his classmates caught him tampering with votes to help elect himself president of a prestigious student organization, the Finance Club.
—Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
Vaillancourt Fountain, a Brutalist, pre-cast concrete fountain that’s been the central feature of San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza since 1971, caught fire on Wednesday morning as it was being disassembled, according to reports.
—News Desk, Artforum, 7 May 2026
Flames first caught in the kitchen, where the oven was being used to heat the house, according to the agency.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caught
Adjective
-
Fasold was one of six surrogates who were still pregnant at the time of Silvia and Guojun’s arrest.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Madison, who got pregnant three years after Felix in 2021, felt pressure to return to the track immediately.—
Tina Sturdevant,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Sabres winger Zach Benson took advantage of Lane Hutson stumbling at the defensive blue line, and grabbed a loose puck before setting up Josh Doan for the opening goal less than five minutes into the game.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
When he was found, deputies said Ortiz became belligerent, yelled at employees, threatened to harm them with a gun, and grabbed one of the resort employees.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Tom Brady, who was the victim of Netflix’s last celebrity roast in 2024, made a surprise appearance at Kevin Hart’s roast Sunday to launch a few jokes at the comedian before the night got underway.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
11 May 2026
-
Mateusz Bogusz got a second chance to score in the 51st minute, using his left foot to find the net for the second time for a 3-1 lead.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Hagerty batted around against three different West Orange pitchers and before the bleeding was stopped, the Huskies had plated 10 runs in a crazy inning.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
-
For nearly two hours, Kid Rock barely stopped moving.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
So far this year, BIP has secured about $400 million of new investment opportunities, including the launch of an equipment leasing platform with a leading global investment-grade original equipment manufacturer and a project under the strategic partnership with Bloom Energy.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
10 May 2026
-
Confidence surged further on Tuesday night, after a 1-0 victory over Spanish side Atletico Madrid secured their passage to a first Champions League final in 20 years.—
Ayo Akinwolere,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Being such a fan of books, the 24-year-old actor knew just how dedicated the fanbase for his new Prime Video series Off Campus would be.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
So when Morgan didn’t show up for the early shift one morning, her co-workers knew something was wrong.—
Dateline NBC,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
And thousands of New Yorkers have been tricked and trapped, and taken here.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
12 May 2026
-
Prosecutors further alleged Michael was tricked by O’Donnell into going to a vacant home in Kentucky for HVAC repairs on September 19, 2022, according to KCRA.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Of course, not all care is good care, as anyone who has ever encountered a clumsy dentist will tell you.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
-
The Marshall Project reviewed dozens of incident and offense reports and interviewed advocates, attorneys and individuals in Palm Beach County who encountered the Sheriff’s Office.—
Shoshana Walter,
Miami Herald,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Caught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caught. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
