as in grabbing
to stop, seize, or interrupt while in progress or on course
the cat was about to hightail it out the front door when I intercepted her
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Recent Examples of intercepting
Separately, a drone strike caused a fire near a UAE nuclear facility, while Saudi Arabia reported intercepting drones apparently entering its airspace from Iraq, perhaps launched by Iranian proxies.
—
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 18 May 2026
The United Arab Emirates also said a drone strike caused a fire at a nuclear power plant, while Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three drones from Iraqi airspace.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 18 May 2026
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the long-range strikes ‘entirely justified’ retaliation for Russian assaults on Kyiv, as Moscow reported intercepting more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones over its territory and occupied Crimea.
—Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
Quinyon Mitchell gets the first pick-six of his career, intercepting a Sam Darnold pass to seal the win as the Eagles reach double-digit victories for the fifth consecutive season.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Deploying this equipment closer to rival countries can increase the chance of successfully intercepting and destroying incoming missiles.
—Carla Martinez MacHain, The Conversation, 13 May 2026
The order called for a sweeping missile-defense network capable of detecting, tracking, and intercepting missiles at multiple stages of flight, including from space.
—Nik Popli, Time, 12 May 2026
Air defenses in the United Arab Emirates engaged multiple aerial threats Monday, intercepting missiles and drones launched from Iran, officials said.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 May 2026
The costs of intercepting could also balloon if targets are engaged over populated areas, with drones, defensive munitions and falling debris all posing risks to people and property on the ground.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 2 May 2026
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 18 May 2026
The United Arab Emirates also said a drone strike caused a fire at a nuclear power plant, while Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three drones from Iraqi airspace.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 18 May 2026
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the long-range strikes ‘entirely justified’ retaliation for Russian assaults on Kyiv, as Moscow reported intercepting more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones over its territory and occupied Crimea.
—Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
Quinyon Mitchell gets the first pick-six of his career, intercepting a Sam Darnold pass to seal the win as the Eagles reach double-digit victories for the fifth consecutive season.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Deploying this equipment closer to rival countries can increase the chance of successfully intercepting and destroying incoming missiles.
—Carla Martinez MacHain, The Conversation, 13 May 2026
The order called for a sweeping missile-defense network capable of detecting, tracking, and intercepting missiles at multiple stages of flight, including from space.
—Nik Popli, Time, 12 May 2026
Air defenses in the United Arab Emirates engaged multiple aerial threats Monday, intercepting missiles and drones launched from Iran, officials said.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 May 2026
The costs of intercepting could also balloon if targets are engaged over populated areas, with drones, defensive munitions and falling debris all posing risks to people and property on the ground.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intercepting
Verb
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The driver who picked up the goods told FT that grabbing items in the location takes roughly five minutes, while the same trip to a Walmart Supercenter store could take 25 minutes.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
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The Limitless Lash Mascara is especially worth grabbing while it’s marked down.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The affidavit states that Dunmars parked in front of Hayes’ vehicle, partially blocking her path, before a physical fight allegedly broke out involving Dunmars’ daughter and two of Hayes’ daughters.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
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The big guy in the doorway stretched out his arms, his hands gripping both sides of the knotty pine planks on either side of the door frame, his body filling the space, blocking our way out.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Through a combination of archival footage, interviews with surviving contemporaries, and many, many photos, the film attempts to get to the bottom of Avedon’s distinct knack for capturing celebrities at their very best.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
17 May 2026
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The docuseries, which Scolari is directing, has begun filming, including at the Cannes Film Festival where the production is capturing a reunion between princess Yassmin and her cousin Cyrus Pahlavi.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
17 May 2026
Verb
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His spends the right amount of time catching us up on the lives, dreams and current situations of three Oakland shoplifters — Corvette (Keke Palmer), Mariah (Taylour Paige) and Sade (Naomi Ackie).—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
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Brown’s production immediately skyrocketed when he was traded to the Eagles before the 2022 season, tallying a career-high 1,496 yards on 88 catches with 11 touchdowns while catching passes from Hurts for the first time.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intercepting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intercepting. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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