Illustration of catapult
- catapult 1
cat·a·pult
ˈka-tə-ˌpəlt 
-ˌpu̇lt
1
: an ancient military device for hurling missiles
2
: a device for launching an airplane at flying speed (as from an aircraft carrier)
catapulted; catapulting; catapults
: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult
: to become catapulted
he catapulted to fame
Examples of catapult in a Sentence
Verb
They catapulted rocks toward the castle.
The publicity catapulted her CD to the top of the charts.
The novel catapulted him from unknown to best-selling author.
He catapulted to fame after his first book was published.
Her career was catapulting ahead.
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026
Redesigns, better engines, and improved stealth and aerodynamics culminated in its first catapult launch test in 2021.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
Lauren Fisher, Footwear News, 19 May 2026
Mahan entered the race late and with little statewide name recognition, but catapulted into contention thanks to massive funding from billionaire tech titans, venture capitalists, cryptocurrency investors and other Silicon Valley elites.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for catapult
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.
Noun
Popular across Europe between roughly 1350 and 1600, the ballistics could be fired from not only mechanical catapults and trebuchets, but explosive cannons.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026
Redesigns, better engines, and improved stealth and aerodynamics culminated in its first catapult launch test in 2021.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
Staud, which helped catapult the beaded bag trend to cult status with its colorful, tongue-in-cheek shoulder bags — think tropical motifs, sardines, and even hot dogs — is extending its signature whimsy into swimwear.
—Lauren Fisher, Footwear News, 19 May 2026
Mahan entered the race late and with little statewide name recognition, but catapulted into contention thanks to massive funding from billionaire tech titans, venture capitalists, cryptocurrency investors and other Silicon Valley elites.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for catapult
Cite this Entry
“Catapult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catapult. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
catapult
1 of 2 noun
cat·a·pult
ˈkat-ə-ˌpəlt
-ˌpu̇lt
1
: an ancient military device for hurling missiles
2
: a device for launching an airplane (as from the deck of an aircraft carrier)
catapult
2 of 2 verb1
: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult
2
: to become catapulted
he catapulted to fame
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
