catch-as-catch-can
adjective
: using any available means or method : hit-or-miss
… a catch-as-catch-can system that relies on borrowed judges.—
Patricia Nealon
Patricia NealonExamples of catch-as-catch-can in a Sentence
we're always having drop-in guests at our beachfront cottage, and sleeping arrangements tend to be catch-as-catch-can
Recent Examples on the Web
Here’s the writer Nick Paumgarten trying to drum up a Talk of the Town piece by wandering through the East Village and questioning random New Yorkers about what’s on their minds, a catch-as-catch-can method that, in its way, reflects the magazine’s democratic openness.
—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
1 Dec. 2025
The old days of barnstorming teams playing catch-as-catch-can schedules was no longer an acceptable business model.
—
Richard Selcer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 June 2024
Cone collection, done by local residents who are paid by the bushel, is a catch-as-catch-can kind of business.
—
Lydia Depillis,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2024
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Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
1 Dec. 2025
The old days of barnstorming teams playing catch-as-catch-can schedules was no longer an acceptable business model.
—
Richard Selcer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 June 2024
Cone collection, done by local residents who are paid by the bushel, is a catch-as-catch-can kind of business.
—
Lydia Depillis,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Catch-as-catch-can.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catch-as-catch-can. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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