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
Safety Jessiah McGrew, a Freshman All-American last year after intercepting four passes, transferred to Arizona State.
—
Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Middle Eastern countries reported intercepting drones and missiles as dawn broke Friday.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Comprehensive, multi-layered defense shield The Golden Dome initiative is designed as a comprehensive, multi-layered defense shield capable of detecting and intercepting a wide range of threats, including ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 19 Mar. 2026
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting a dozen drones Tuesday morning over the country’s vast Eastern Province, home to oil infrastructure.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
In the 66th minute, Ary Borges stepped in front of a Chicago defender, intercepting a pass from goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and slipped the ball into the back of the net.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Produced by Damai Entertainment, the film stars Jackson Yee and Zhu Yilong as elite agents in a specialized National Security unit tasked with intercepting a spy ring attempting to leak classified information.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Israel’s home-front command must shoot down missiles and penetrating drones that cost as little as twenty thousand dollars each with intercepting missiles that typically cost four million dollars and take far longer to manufacture.
—Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
For one, there is no value to Iran in intercepting cargo containers, though non-oil ships may be harassed by Iranian speedboats.
—Kevin Williams, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Middle Eastern countries reported intercepting drones and missiles as dawn broke Friday.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Comprehensive, multi-layered defense shield The Golden Dome initiative is designed as a comprehensive, multi-layered defense shield capable of detecting and intercepting a wide range of threats, including ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 19 Mar. 2026
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting a dozen drones Tuesday morning over the country’s vast Eastern Province, home to oil infrastructure.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
In the 66th minute, Ary Borges stepped in front of a Chicago defender, intercepting a pass from goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and slipped the ball into the back of the net.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Produced by Damai Entertainment, the film stars Jackson Yee and Zhu Yilong as elite agents in a specialized National Security unit tasked with intercepting a spy ring attempting to leak classified information.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Israel’s home-front command must shoot down missiles and penetrating drones that cost as little as twenty thousand dollars each with intercepting missiles that typically cost four million dollars and take far longer to manufacture.
—Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
For one, there is no value to Iran in intercepting cargo containers, though non-oil ships may be harassed by Iranian speedboats.
—Kevin Williams, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intercepting
Verb
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Kyla Oldacre led Texas with 11 points off the bench while grabbing seven rebounds.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
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The victim listed in the police records later told police about two incidents of physical assault, including grabbing, scratching, shoving and striking, according to the documents.—
Meriam Bouarrouj,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Residents can protect against the disease by using flea-control treatments on pets year-round, avoiding handling or feeding stray animals, and keeping wildlife away with security trash cans and blocking entry points and hiding places on residential properties.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
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While there wasn’t a 7-foot-4 obstacle blocking the lane, the Clippers still couldn’t get out of their own way and lost to the Spurs for the third time in less than a month, 118-99, at the Intuit Dome.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump has repeatedly praised Rubio’s handling of Venezuela after capturing former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
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As for the music video, it was filmed in a diner in Mexico City, capturing the full atmosphere of the 1950s — milkshakes included — albeit featuring dancers performing in the style of Texas norteño.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For those who have the option, more are contemplating walking, cycling, carpooling or catching the bus or train to get some relief.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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That inspired some smirks from Boone and Tanner Swanson, the team’s director of catching.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intercepting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intercepting. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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