caught
ˈkȯt 
also ˈkät
; catching
1
a
: to capture or seize especially after pursuit
catch a thief
b
: to take or entangle in or as if in a snare
catch fish in a net
c
: deceive
d
: to discover unexpectedly : find
caught in the act
e
: to check (oneself) suddenly or momentarily
He started to say the wrong thing but quickly caught himself.
f
: to become suddenly aware of
caught me looking at him
2
a
: to take hold of : seize
He caught her by the arm as she tripped.
b
: to affect suddenly
The announcement caught me by surprise.
c
: to grasp and hold on to (something in motion)
catch a fly ball
d
: to avail oneself of : take
caught the first opportunity to leave
e
: to obtain through effort : get
catch a ride
f
: to overtake unexpectedly
—usually used in the passive
was caught in a storm
g
: to get entangled
catch a sleeve on a nail
3
: to become affected by: such as
a
: contract
catch a cold
b
: to respond sympathetically to the point of being imbued (see imbue sense 2) with
catch the spirit of an occasion
c
: to be struck by
He caught a bullet in the leg.
d
: to be subjected to : receive
catch hell
4
a
: to take in and retain
a barrel to catch rainwater
b
: fasten
catch back a curtain
5
: to take or get usually momentarily or quickly
catch a glimpse of a friend
catch a nap
6
a
: overtake
catch the leader in a race
b
: to get aboard in time
catch the bus
7
8
: to make contact with : strike
The pitch caught him in the back.
9
a
: to grasp by the senses or the mind
you catch what I mean?
didn't catch the name
b
: to apprehend and fix by artistic means
The new portrait catches her likeness perfectly.
11
: to serve as a catcher for in baseball
caught both ends of the doubleheader
12
: to meet with
catch you later
1
: to grasp hastily or try to grasp
2
: to become caught
The kite caught in the tree branches.
3
: to catch fire
4
: to play the position of catcher on a baseball team
5
: kick over
the engine caught
1
: something caught
especially
: the total quantity caught at one time
a large catch of fish
2
a
: the act, action, or fact of catching
The shortstop made a tough catch.
b
: a game in which a ball is thrown and caught
played catch with his dad
3
: something that checks or holds immovable
a safety catch
4
: one worth catching especially as a spouse
5
: a round for three or more unaccompanied usually male voices often with suggestive or obscene lyrics
7
: a concealed difficulty or complication
there must be a catch
8
: a momentary audible break in the voice or breath
Phrases
catch a crab
: to fail to raise an oar clear of the water on recovery of a stroke
: to find or see at any time
—used in strongly negative constructions
wouldn't be caught dead in that shirt
1
: to become ignited
2
: to become fired with enthusiasm
3
: to increase greatly in scope, popularity, interest, or effectiveness
this stock has not caught fire—yet—
Forbes
Forbes
: to incur blame, reprimand, or punishment
He'll really catch it from the boss if he's late again.
: to rest long enough to restore normal breathing
broadly
: to rest after a period of intense activity
Synonyms
Examples of catch in a Sentence
Verb
Catch the ball and throw it to first base.
She caught the ball with one hand.
I dropped the book but managed to catch it before it hit the ground.
I'll throw you the keys. Ready? Catch!
He caught hold of her wrist.
The police are working hard to catch the criminals and put them in jail.
“I bet you can't catch me!” she yelled to her brother.
I once caught 10 fish in a single day.
In the summer, we would catch fireflies and put them in jars.
I caught her just as she was leaving for work.
Noun
The shortstop made a tough catch.
She used to play catch with her dad.
Let's play a game of catch.
a catch of about 20 fish
Recent Examples on the WebElla Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2024
Coughlan has been vocal on social media about her support for the people, especially the children, of Palestine, who are caught in the middle of the Israel-Hamas War.
—Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
The Lyrids meteor shower hit its peak in the late evening of April 21 into April 22, but there is still time to catch the celestial light show that goes on until April 29.
—Joyce Orlando, The Courier-Journal, 23 Apr. 2024
The flies have yellowish-brown bodies, small heads, long legs and iridescent wings that catch the light, photos show.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
Where will the stations be? Southern Californians can catch a ride on the high-speed train at stations in Rancho Cucamonga, Hesperia, Victor Valley and Las Vegas.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Soon after the split, his then-teenage son was caught stealing, put on probation and required to take a drug test.
—Claire Reid and Peter Breen, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Apr. 2024
Residents in homes with ocean views also got to catch a glimpse of the whale, Kalez said.
—Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 23 Apr. 2024
That’s before considering the major uptick in international tourists bound for L.A. to catch the Games and explore the region.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2024
Mitchell has great speed and had two TD catches against Alabama’s NFL-ready secondary.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024
And by cutting out the middlemen, fishers get more money — an average of about 20 percent more — for their catch, which supports their community.
—Melissa Clark, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
The Tatis catch Shildt spotlighted erased Dalton Varsho one hitter ahead of Davis Schneider, who homered.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2024
Kupp appeared to struggle for most of the rest of the season, however, and finished with 59 catches for 737 yards and five touchdowns.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
This is why simple pleasures, like playing catch, recreating in nature, or sharing a meaningful conversation with a friend, can be more liberating than more extravagant forms of fun, says Wical.
—Donavyn Coffey, TIME, 22 Apr. 2024
Some state and federal legislators, as well as local anglers in the Upper Midwest, had argued against the Fish and Wildlife Service listing the species as threatened or endangered, which could have resulted in more limitations or restrictions being placed on any catch.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
But there was a catch: fans and the country music industry have only allowed white artists to tweak the genre’s stylings.
—TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Verb
Those caught doing so will pay a fine of $250,000 and face prison.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2024
Coughlan has been vocal on social media about her support for the people, especially the children, of Palestine, who are caught in the middle of the Israel-Hamas War.
—Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
The Lyrids meteor shower hit its peak in the late evening of April 21 into April 22, but there is still time to catch the celestial light show that goes on until April 29.
—Joyce Orlando, The Courier-Journal, 23 Apr. 2024
The flies have yellowish-brown bodies, small heads, long legs and iridescent wings that catch the light, photos show.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
Where will the stations be? Southern Californians can catch a ride on the high-speed train at stations in Rancho Cucamonga, Hesperia, Victor Valley and Las Vegas.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Soon after the split, his then-teenage son was caught stealing, put on probation and required to take a drug test.
—Claire Reid and Peter Breen, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Apr. 2024
Residents in homes with ocean views also got to catch a glimpse of the whale, Kalez said.
—Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 23 Apr. 2024
That’s before considering the major uptick in international tourists bound for L.A. to catch the Games and explore the region.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Noun
That rushing production was supplemented with 49 catches for 275 receiving yards.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2024
Mitchell has great speed and had two TD catches against Alabama’s NFL-ready secondary.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024
And by cutting out the middlemen, fishers get more money — an average of about 20 percent more — for their catch, which supports their community.
—Melissa Clark, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
The Tatis catch Shildt spotlighted erased Dalton Varsho one hitter ahead of Davis Schneider, who homered.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2024
Kupp appeared to struggle for most of the rest of the season, however, and finished with 59 catches for 737 yards and five touchdowns.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
This is why simple pleasures, like playing catch, recreating in nature, or sharing a meaningful conversation with a friend, can be more liberating than more extravagant forms of fun, says Wical.
—Donavyn Coffey, TIME, 22 Apr. 2024
Some state and federal legislators, as well as local anglers in the Upper Midwest, had argued against the Fish and Wildlife Service listing the species as threatened or endangered, which could have resulted in more limitations or restrictions being placed on any catch.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
But there was a catch: fans and the country music industry have only allowed white artists to tweak the genre’s stylings.
—TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near catch
Cite this Entry
“Catch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catch. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
catch
1 of 2 verb
ˈkach
ˈkech
caught
ˈkȯt
; catching
; catching
1
a
: to capture or seize in flight or motion
catch butterflies
catch a ball
2
a
: to discover unexpectedly
was caught in the act
b
: to stop suddenly
caught himself before he gave away the secret
3
: to take hold of : snatch
4
a
: to get entangled
catch a sleeve on a nail
b
: to have the parts connect firmly
this lock will not catch
c
: to attach, join, or fasten tightly
5
: to fall sick with
catch a cold
6
: to take or get for a short time or quickly
catch a glimpse of a friend
catch a little sleep
7
a
: to catch up to
will have to hurry to catch the leaders
b
: to get aboard in time
catch the bus
8
: understand sense 1a
didn't catch what she said
9
: to play baseball as a catcher
catch
2 of 2 noun1
a
: something caught
b
: the quantity caught at one time
a large catch of fish
2
a
: the act of catching
b
: a pastime in which a ball is thrown and caught
3
: something that checks, fastens, or holds immovable
a catch on a door
4
: one worth discovering or finding
5
: a round for three or more voices
6
: a hidden difficulty
there must be a catch
Etymology
Verb
Middle English cacchen "to catch," from early French cacher "to hunt," derived from Latin captare "to chase," from capere "to take" — related to capture
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