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
Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 19 June 2026
If caught in a rip current, remain calm.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 19 June 2026
Part of the aircraft also struck a vehicle and caught fire before emergency crews arrived at the scene.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 18 June 2026
During the Sudanese civil war, South Sudan’s elephant population plummeted from 100,000 to 5,000 over three decades, as herds of gentle bystanders got caught in the crossfire.
—The Los Angeles Times, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
In 2018, Keith’s work with fellow Memphis native BlocBoy JB began to garner buzz beyond the borders of Memphis and their local rap music caught Drake’s attention.
—Charisma Madarang, VIBE.com, 18 June 2026
The Knicks trailed, 81-52, when Wembanyama’s elbow caught Towns in the chin, resulting in a flagrant foul.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026
Last week’s announcement from CMS caught states off guard with a new definition of medical frailty.
—ABC News, 11 June 2026
Someone builds a thoughtful plan, accounts for the major costs, and still feels caught off guard a few years into retirement.
—Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Verb
The excitement has also caught the attention of tourists.
—Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 19 June 2026
If caught in a rip current, remain calm.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 19 June 2026
Part of the aircraft also struck a vehicle and caught fire before emergency crews arrived at the scene.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 18 June 2026
During the Sudanese civil war, South Sudan’s elephant population plummeted from 100,000 to 5,000 over three decades, as herds of gentle bystanders got caught in the crossfire.
—The Los Angeles Times, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
In 2018, Keith’s work with fellow Memphis native BlocBoy JB began to garner buzz beyond the borders of Memphis and their local rap music caught Drake’s attention.
—Charisma Madarang, VIBE.com, 18 June 2026
The Knicks trailed, 81-52, when Wembanyama’s elbow caught Towns in the chin, resulting in a flagrant foul.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026
Last week’s announcement from CMS caught states off guard with a new definition of medical frailty.
—ABC News, 11 June 2026
Someone builds a thoughtful plan, accounts for the major costs, and still feels caught off guard a few years into retirement.
—Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caught
Adjective
-
Brianna, who was 9 months pregnant at the time of the incident, gave birth four days before her arraignment, her attorney said, ClickonDetroit reported.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
Bardem plays the sociopathic ex-convict, Max Cady, recently released after a 17-year stint for killing his pregnant wife.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Fujimori, the daughter of a disgraced former president, and Sánchez, an ally of an imprisoned ex-president, beat 33 other candidates in the initial vote in April, but neither earned even 20% of support.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
-
Fujimori, daughter of a disgraced former president, and Sánchez, an ally of an imprisoned ex-president, were on the runoff’s ballot after beating 33 other candidates in the vote in April, but neither earned even 20% of support.—
Franklin Briceño,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Forward Natasha Howard scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Lynx (12-3), who have won 10 of their past 11 games.—
John W. Davis,
Oc Register,
18 June 2026
-
Police said one officer grabbed his gun and another grabbed his taser.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
In North Texas’ first World Cup match since 1994, Japan got a late equalizer to battle to a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
-
As the clock ticked down, Fox missed a 3-pointer and the Knicks got the rebound.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
In the months before the shooting, Mangione’s once active online presence stopped, and his mother filed a missing persons’ report.—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Once the match started, the tours of the property stopped and all attention turned to the soccer game.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Ma has also secured sponsorships for his World Cup appearance from some of the biggest Chinese brands, including technology firm Lenovo and electronics giant Hisense.—
Kathleen Magramo,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
-
Ahead of the game, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged fans to celebrate responsibly if the Knicks secured the franchise's first NBA title in more than five decades.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
And then there was a whole separate conversation with Meija, who nobody knew anything about.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
17 June 2026
-
Mobutu Sese Seko knew the value of sport.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The sample that tricked the most people came from a robot Bram Stoker.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
-
Montreal opened the scoring when Dubois’ shot hit off of Elizabeth Giguere’s stick and tricked Rooney.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Caught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caught. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
