intercepts

verb

present tense third-person singular of intercept
as in grabs
to stop, seize, or interrupt while in progress or on course the cat was about to hightail it out the front door when I intercepted her

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 intercepts Defensive player of the week Junior defensive back Jaden Wright makes six tackles, intercepts a pass, recovers a fumble and also returns a punt 55 yards for a touchdown during Warren’s 49-0 North Suburban Conference win over Waukegan. — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026 DeLand’s Gardner Nordman intercepts a Max Chapman pass and Bulldogs have the ball at their own 27 yard line. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026 When an agent triggers an action, a dedicated runtime governance layer dynamically intercepts the request. — Barney Krishnan, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Russia intercepts most Ukrainian long-range drones but some have evaded Russian air defenses. — Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 27 June 2026 However, Azula intercepts the group and duels Aang and Katara with Zuko, who nearly had a change of heart after opening up to Katara. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 25 June 2026 Advertisement Breaking down the fight and its outcome When Sam intercepts them, Adam steps in to confront him, attempting to create time for Rosie and Grace to escape. — Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 21 Apr. 2026 The process intercepts industrial carbon emissions before they are released into the atmosphere and converts them into recycled fibers. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2026 Kagan and his colleagues showed that within minutes, neurons on microchips could learn to play Pong, the classic video game in which a player repeatedly intercepts a ball—think two-dimensional ping-pong. — Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 28 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intercepts
  1. grabs
  2. blocks
  3. captures
  4. catches
Verb
  • Why the ridiculous prices are worth it Bob Baffert grabs a water out of a nearby cooler to keep the searing heat and humidity at bay.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Illinois center Tomislav Ivišić grabs a rebound past UConn forward Jayden Ross during the first half of their Final Four game on April 4, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
    — Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of grabs
Verb
  • Satellite thermal sensors can now reveal which blocks bake hottest after sundown, and city planners are using this data to reprioritize projects.
    — Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • That looks like a password reset that blocks off an entire morning.
    — Tal Dagan, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of blocks
Verb
  • The system captures excess heat from paper production at temperatures ranging from 86 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit (30 to 70 degrees Celsius).
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Elizabeth D’Aiuto, who plays Marian, the librarian of this small Iowa town who captures the roving eye of traveling salesman and con man Harold Hill (Elliott Andrews), has a piercing soprano that many an opera singer would envy.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of captures
Verb
  • Life and social structures in remote river villages are rooted in summer fish camps, where the community catches, processes, and preserves the salmon that feeds them through the winter.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Participants step or jump off a platform more than 40 feet above the ground, experiencing a brief moment of free fall before the rope system catches them and slowly lowers them to the ground.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of catches

Browse Nearby Words

intercepting
intercepts
intercession
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Cite this Entry

“Intercepts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intercepts. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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