catch 1 of 2

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as in to chase
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

catch

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noun

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as in hitch
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized the catch is that you have to come up with the money by tomorrow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in haul
the total amount collected or obtained especially at one time the total catch for our day at the creek was six fish and a crab

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb catch contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of catch are bag, capture, ensnare, entrap, snare, and trap. While all these words mean "to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing," catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding.

caught the dog as it ran by

Where would bag be a reasonable alternative to catch?

The words bag and catch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

When is capture a more appropriate choice than catch?

While the synonyms capture and catch are close in meaning, capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

How are the words entrap and ensnare related as synonyms of catch?

Both entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question
a sting operation that ensnared burglars

How is trap related to other words for catch?

Trap, snare, entrap, and ensnare imply seizing by some device that holds the one caught at the mercy of the captor. Trap and snare apply more commonly to physical seizing.

trap animals
snared butterflies with a net

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 catch
Verb
Southwestern’s Jamarei Ashby-Phan (15 carries, 68 yards) and Jamar Johnson (10 carries, 60 yards) led the ground attack, while Nic Cline (Torrey Pines High School) caught two passes for 83 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown. Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2025 The big, bruising back carried the ball 19 times for 70 yards and a touchdown and also caught six passes for 59 yards. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
Accelerometers pick up bearing wear, infrared cameras flag overheated motors, ultrasonic microphones catch leaks, and oil sensors detect contamination. Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2025 Sandle had four catches for 116 yards and a score last week. Dan Albano, Oc Register, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for catch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch
Verb
  • On third-and-9 from the 50, Murray threw a contested pass that receiver Zay Jones couldn’t grab.
    The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Thomas grabbed her husband’s ashes and some cash before trying to rescue her German shepherd, Storm, her companion of more than six years.
    Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Hopefully, Dallas gets a better update than what the injury appeared to be.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Sep. 2025
  • The playoff picture should get more clear in Week 5 with some huge showdowns - notably Penn State hosting Oregon and Georgia hosting Alabama.
    Erick Smith, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The defense for Texas has held up its end of the bargain, stopping the run well, allowing one of the lowest rushing yard totals per game in the country.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Central finally stopped the bleeding late in the half on a TD pass from Smith to Jeremiah Mateo Mora.
    Matt Roy, Boston Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Claiming the top seed and securing a bye would be huge for the Blue Jays in their quest for a World Series.
    Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Seattle’s victory secured the season series between the teams, giving it the tiebreaker over Houston.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Both members are known to hold their votes during many large, contentious votes in an effort to get more spending cuts.
    Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2025
  • As people now know, there was a quarter percentage point (also known as 25 basis points) interest rate cut.
    Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Although Louverture had resigned from his position as governor-general of the colony in May, in June 1802 one of Leclerc’s generals tricked Louverture into a meeting, summarily arrested him, along with his wife and children, and then forced them all onto a ship destined for France.
    Marlene L. Daut September 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
  • On Tuesday, a federal judge will begin hearing the Federal Trade Commission’s case against Amazon that alleges the company intentionally used manipulative practices to trick customers into signing up for the Prime membership service, and knowingly complicated the cancellation process.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After working in the industry for over a decade, the Korean-American filmmaker had never encountered a single Korean project.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025
  • The lies begin as soon as Max encounters Guillermo, an arrogant nepo baby who blamed him for Ane’s death but now pretends to accept his apology.
    Judy Berman, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • While the container comes with a month's worth of capsules, many reviewers noticed results way sooner.
    Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Most notably the Democrats in Nevada's congressional delegation noticed.
    Peter J Reilly, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Catch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.

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