1
as in infectious
capable of being passed by physical contact from one person to another
a cold is often catching before the symptoms even begin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spreading
exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others
a catching smile that instantly puts patients at ease
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in grabbing
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
we tried to catch the kitten before she could sneak out the door
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in getting
to become affected with (a disease or disorder)
you'll catch the flu for sure if you don't get a shot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stopping
to bring (something) to a standstill
I caught myself just as I was about to step into the freshly poured concrete
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in securing
to put securely in place or in a desired position
caught back her hair with a barrette
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5
as in knowing
to have a clear idea of
I didn't catch the point you were making about our nation's foreign policy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in tricking
to cause to believe what is untrue
a number of media outlets were caught by the woman's hard-luck story
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in encountering
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face
I'll catch you at the library tomorrow
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in noticing
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
I looked out the window just in time to catch the neighbor's dog digging up my flower bed
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in chasing
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of catching
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
The left-handed hitting backstop has been touted for his offense and is considered one of the best young catching prospects in the game.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 6 Aug. 2025
John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
Dalton Rushing began his rehab assignment with OKC on Thursday, catching nine innings and going 1 for 4 with a double.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catching
Adjective
Carlos Narvaez will return to the starting lineup on Monday, but the Red Sox are adding some extra catching depth anyway.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
The left-handed hitting backstop has been touted for his offense and is considered one of the best young catching prospects in the game.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
Joseph Ellis added 64 yards on four carries, scoring once on the ground and catching a TD pass.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
Dalton Rushing began his rehab assignment with OKC on Thursday, catching nine innings and going 1 for 4 with a double.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catching
Adjective
-
If you’re pumped for the future with a bunch of ideas, your enthusiasm becomes infectious.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Luckily for audiences, her laugh is infectious.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
20 Sep. 2025
-
People are sorting into bubbles not just at work or online, but also while running errands or grabbing dinner.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
López departed after four innings and just 61 pitches in the Twins’ 6-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night at Target Field, getting five more outs after the play before leaving with what the Twins called right forearm tightness as a result of the dive.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
20 Sep. 2025
-
The Lions outgained the Packers by 100 yards in a Week 1 loss before getting 511 yards total offense against the Bears.—
Jack Magruder,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With conditions restored on the 236-meter flight deck, Barone made multiple warm-up passes to heat the SF90’s V8 engine and then launched from the aft end, stopping safely before ascending the ramp.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
-
In 2020 and 2021, many endorsed the deplatforming of Covid skeptics and election conspiracy theorists, arguing that there was a public interest in stopping misinformation.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For most of the past 18 years, Kershaw has been the Dodgers’ ace, a leading protagonist in an especially prolific period of winning, the Dodgers securing two World Series titles and making the playoffs a dozen times.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
-
At this point, your patent can reflect the final solution, while still securing early protection.—
Paul Moutzouris,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
So far, no travel plans have been made, but several analysts expect Xi to repeat his offer, especially knowing that Trump is always keen to be received with diplomatic fanfare.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The key is knowing when to lean into either.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The perfectly still water creates a flawless mirror image of the stalactites above, tricking your eyes into seeing a vast, bottomless lake.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
16 Sep. 2025
-
What does work is tricking her into pressing a button that knocks her out.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Shanghai and Shenzhen Composite Indices reached the top of recent ranges, encountering resistance.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
On social media, people shared instructions for how to turn off auto-play in order to avoid accidentally encountering what amounted to a snuff video.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catching. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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