Catch (Verb)
Meaning 1
Discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state; "She caught her son eating candy"; "She was caught shoplifting".
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- The teacher caught the students cheating on the exam during a surprise inspection.
- The police caught the burglar in the act of breaking into the house.
- I caught my little sister playing with my makeup without permission.
- The manager caught one of his employees sleeping on the job during work hours.
- She was caught texting and driving by the traffic officer.
Meaning 2
Take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of; "Catch the ball!"; "Grab the elevator door!".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The fireman quickly caught the child who fell from the third floor balcony.
- Try to catch the butterfly with a small net.
- The goalkeeper jumped to catch the ball flying towards the goal post.
- Please catch the door, it's about to close.
- Be careful and catch the railing, the stairs are slippery.
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Meaning 3
Succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase; "We finally got the suspect"; "Did you catch the thief?".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The police officer was able to catch the fleeing suspect after a long chase.
- The thieves were experts at evading capture but the detective was determined to catch them.
- Did you catch the shoplifter that stole the merchandise from the store yesterday.
- After weeks of surveillance, the agents finally managed to catch the notorious hacker.
- It took a combined effort from the neighborhood watch to catch the burglar who had been terrorizing the community.
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Meaning 4
Become aware of; "he caught her staring out the window".
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- He caught her staring out the window during the lecture.
- I caught him glancing at his watch for the fifth time.
- She caught him checking his phone under the table.
- The teacher caught him whispering to his classmate during the test.
- He caught her daydreaming again during the meeting.
Hypernyms
Meaning 5
Check oneself during an action; "She managed to catch herself before telling her boss what was on her mind".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- He caught himself just in time before blurting out the surprise at the birthday party.
- She managed to catch herself before telling her boss what was on her mind.
- It took a second, but I caught myself before falling asleep at the wheel.
- He was about to shout at his kids but managed to catch himself and remain calm.
- She had to catch herself to avoid slipping into her native accent when speaking English.
Hypernyms
Meaning 6
Get or regain something necessary, usually quickly or briefly; "Catch some sleep"; "catch one's breath".
Classification
Verbs of buying, selling, owning.
Examples
- Catch a quick glance in the mirror before running out the door for work.
- You need to catch your breath after climbing so many stairs.
- The couple tried to catch a moment's peace with their infant finally asleep.
- Catch a few minutes of the replay on television, if you can.
- After she almost collapsed from running, she had to catch her breath.
Hypernyms
Meaning 7
Be struck or affected by; "catch fire"; "catch the mood".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The dry leaves caught fire from the sparkler and quickly spread to the nearby bushes.
- Her enthusiasm was contagious and soon everyone caught the mood of excitement and celebration.
- The house caught sunlight through the large windows, making the interior warm and cozy.
- The cold weather caught everyone off guard, and many people were unprepared for the snowstorm.
- The painting caught the essence of the cityscape, with vibrant colors and lively atmosphere.
Meaning 8
Contract; "did you catch a cold?".
Classification
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care.
Examples
- The company will only catch a share of the profits if the project meets its contractual obligations.
- Your cough sounds terrible, did you catch a cold?
- The clause is ambiguous and may catch some parties off guard.
- Lawyers for the plaintiff argued the loophole would catch many unsuspecting consumers.
- Analysts predicted the change in regulations would catch several companies unprepared.
Hypernyms
Meaning 9
Reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot; "the rock caught her in the back of the head"; "The blow got him in the back"; "The punch caught him in the stomach".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The rock caught her in the back of the head as she walked past the landslide.
- The stray bullet caught him in the leg during the crossfire.
- The boxer's powerful punch caught him in the stomach and sent him to the ground.
- The soccer player's fall caught him in the chest, making it hard for him to breathe.
- The car door caught her in the shoulder as it swung shut unexpectedly.
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Meaning 10
Attract and fix; "His look caught her"; "She caught his eye"; "Catch the attention of the waiter".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- Her impressive presentation caught the attention of potential investors.
- The elegant chandelier caught the eye of the interior designer.
- His charming smile caught the attention of everyone in the room.
- The billboard's vibrant colors caught the attention of passing drivers.
- Her beautiful voice caught the attention of the talent scout in the audience.
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Meaning 11
Delay or hold up; prevent from proceeding on schedule or as planned; "I was caught in traffic and missed the meeting".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The parade was about to start when a technical issue caught the festivities, forcing organizers to wait for an hour.
- Heavy rainfall caught the construction project, pushing the completion date two months back.
- The storm caught the flight crew, causing them to divert to a nearby airfield for the night.
- A last-minute change in regulations caught the shipping company off guard, resulting in hefty fines.
- The holidays caught the travelers with long lines and congested roads, significantly delaying their journey.
Hypernyms
Meaning 12
Perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily; "I caught the aroma of coffee"; "He caught the allusion in her glance"; "ears open to catch every sound"; "The dog picked up the scent"; "Catch a glimpse".
Classification
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling.
Examples
- I caught the sweet sound of the birds singing in the trees.
- She caught a whiff of smoke coming from the old chimney.
- He caught the faint outline of a person standing behind the curtain.
- Eyes scanning the crowd, I caught a glimpse of my sister's face.
- She caught the look of sadness in her friend's eyes for a brief moment.
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Meaning 13
Start burning; "The fire caught".
Classification
Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering.
Examples
- The match was lit and the dry leaves caught, spreading the flames quickly.
- The fire caught in the old warehouse, engulfing it in a matter of minutes.
- After struggling to get the campfire going, the twigs finally caught, providing warmth for the campers.
- Once the pilot light was activated, the gas stove caught, illuminating the dark kitchen.
- The flames licked at the paper, slow to catch, but eventually it erupted into a blazing inferno.
Hypernyms
Meaning 14
Catch up with and possibly overtake; "The Rolls Royce caught us near the exit ramp".
Classification
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities.
Examples
- The sprinter caught the leader near the finish line and overtook her to win the gold medal.
- The rival company caught up with our sales figures in just a few quarters and is now a major competitor.
- A black Porsche caught the Mustang on the straightaway and sped past it effortlessly.
- The speeding camera caught the motorcyclist going over 120 miles per hour on the highway.
- As we were leaving the store, the store manager caught us and gave us a complimentary gift for our loyalty.
Synonyms
Meaning 15
Be the catcher; "Who is catching?".
Classification
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities.
Examples
- The kid is going to catch behind the plate today in the Little League game.
- Who's catching for the home team in tonight's championship match.
- John is the one catching in the state baseball tournament semifinals.
- Samantha is catching for the away team in this evening's game.
- Jimmy's dad said he would catch for his son in the father-son baseball game.
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Meaning 16
Perceive by hearing; "I didn't catch your name"; "She didn't get his name when they met the first time".
Classification
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling.
Examples
- I didn't catch the last part of the announcement over the loudspeaker.
- She didn't catch what he was saying because of the background noise.
- I didn't catch her name when we were introduced at the party.
- I'm sorry, I didn't catch that joke, could you repeat it?
- I didn't catch what time he said the movie starts, let me ask him again.
Synonyms
Meaning 17
Attract; cause to be enamored; "She captured all the men's hearts".
Classification
Verbs of feeling.
Examples
- Her charming smile was enough to catch the attention of everyone in the room.
- He was determined to catch her eye across the crowded party.
- The beautiful actress caught the hearts of millions with her incredible talent.
- His suave demeanor and sense of humor managed to catch her off guard and win her over.
- The stunning model caught the fancy of the famous designer with her unique style.
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Meaning 18
Cause to become accidentally or suddenly caught, ensnared, or entangled; "I caught the hem of my dress in the brambles".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- She caught her hair in the car window, ripping out a few strands as it closed.
- The fisherman caught his sleeve on a sharp rock by the river.
- He caught the heel of his shoe in the metal grating and almost fell onto the street.
- The kite string caught on a low-hanging tree branch and was pulled taut.
- As she climbed the old fence, she caught her pants leg on a rusty nail.
Meaning 19
Hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers; "We overheard the conversation at the next table".
Classification
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling.
Examples
- I managed to catch some of their conversation, but it was mostly muffled.
- The family caught snippets of the secretive discussion through the thin walls.
- You can catch a few words of the telephone conversation if you stand close enough.
- We caught the last part of the argument before they hung up the phone.
- The hidden microphone allowed detectives to catch the entire conversation of the suspects.
Synonyms
Meaning 20
Suffer from the receipt of; "She will catch hell for this behavior!".
Classification
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling.
Examples
- He's going to catch it from his coach for being late to practice again.
- If you don't finish the project on time, you'll catch a lot of flak from the boss.
- The driver will surely catch a ticket for speeding through the school zone.
- You will catch some serious grief from your parents if you don't start taking school more seriously.
- The city will catch criticism for not doing enough to address the growing homeless population.
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Meaning 21
Grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of; "did you catch that allusion?"; "We caught something of his theory in the lecture"; "don't catch your meaning"; "did you get it?"; "She didn't get the joke"; "I just don't get him".
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- I didn't catch the subtle hint in her message.
- Did you catch what the professor said about the experiment results during the lecture?
- She tried to explain the concept, but the students didn't catch her drift.
- Can you repeat the last part, I didn't catch what you said.
- Many in the audience didn't catch the irony of the comedian's words.
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Meaning 22
Take in and retain; "We have a big barrel to catch the rainwater".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- Their drainage system was designed to catch the overflowing water from the nearby river during floods.
- You need to set up a bucket under the leak to catch the dripping water before it spreads to the floor.
- The old mansion has a system to catch and filter rainwater for irrigation purposes.
- We installed a tray underneath the air conditioner to catch any water that might leak out.
- Farmers in ancient civilizations built dams to catch the mountain runoff and water their crops downstream.
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Meaning 23
Apprehend and reproduce accurately; "She really caught the spirit of the place in her drawings"; "She got the mood just right in her photographs".
Classification
Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing.
Examples
- He managed to catch the complexity of the issue in a single paragraph.
- The artist struggled to catch the subtlety of her subject's expression in the portrait.
- The filmmaker effectively caught the atmosphere of the city in her latest documentary.
- She caught the essence of the character in her brilliant performance.
- The photographer wonderfully caught the vitality of the scene in her photographs.
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Meaning 24
Detect a blunder or misstep; "The reporter tripped up the senator".
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- The journalist caught the error in the company's financial report, exposing their misleading claim.
- By reviewing the security footage, investigators were able to catch a glimpse of the suspect's face.
- The politician's opponent tried to catch them off guard with a tougher-than-expected question during the debate.
- An alert auditor caught a mistake in the accounting records, saving the company from potential penalties.
- Her careful observation helped her catch a crucial inconsistency in her colleague's alibi.
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Meaning 25
To hook or entangle; "One foot caught in the stirrup".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- Her hair caught in the window handle and she yelped in pain.
- A large fish caught in the old net that had been left on the lake floor.
- Her sweater caught on the broken branch and ripped.
- One of her earrings caught in his jacket zipper and broke.
- His shoelace caught in the lawn mower blade and nearly pulled him in.
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Meaning 26
See or watch; "view a show on television"; "This program will be seen all over the world"; "view an exhibition"; "Catch a show on Broadway"; "see a movie".
Classification
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling.
Examples
- We'll catch the game on TV tonight if we get home in time.
- I want to catch the comedy special that's premiering this weekend.
- You can catch the documentary on Netflix next month.
- The kids loved the aquarium and really wanted to catch the dolphin show.
- We plan to catch a musical performance when we visit New York City.
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Meaning 27
Spread or be communicated; "The fashion did not catch".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The idea of a paperless office did not catch on as quickly as predicted.
- Several of the world's major economies have indicated a recession might catch up to them.
- His message did not catch people in a receptive mood to positive goals.
- Rumors that the new movie was violent quickly caught on among horror fans.
- Some news of the incident caught on socially but many details still remain a mystery.
Hypernyms
Meaning 28
Reach in time; "I have to catch a train at 7 o'clock".
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- I have to catch a bus to get to school on time.
- We rushed to catch the movie before it was too late.
- She's going to try to catch the ferry before it leaves the harbor.
- To avoid being late, he needs to catch the first flight available.
- Her plane was delayed, but she managed to catch her connection.
Hypernyms
Meaning 29
Capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping; "I caught a rabbit in the trap today".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The fishermen set sail early to catch the fish during peak hours.
- She spent years trying to catch a decent shot of a rare species in the wild.
- They used a large net to catch a runaway monkey in the neighborhood.
- Last night we caught a stray raccoon rummaging through our trash cans.
- Naturalists use camera traps to catch glimpses of elusive animals in the forest.