CATCHES Synonyms: 442 Similar and Opposite Words

catches 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of catch

as in grabs

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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as in gets

to become affected with (a disease or disorder) you'll catch the flu for sure if you don't get a shot

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as in stops

to bring (something) to a standstill I caught myself just as I was about to step into the freshly poured concrete

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as in secures

to put securely in place or in a desired position caught back her hair with a barrette

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as in knows

to have a clear idea of I didn't catch the point you were making about our nation's foreign policy

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as in deceives

to cause to believe what is untrue a number of media outlets were caught by the woman's hard-luck story

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as in encounters

to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face I'll catch you at the library tomorrow

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as in notices

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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as in overtakes

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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falls short

catches

2 of 2

noun

plural of catch

as in hitches

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

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as in prizes

someone or something unusually desirable everyone thought the captain of the football team was a real catch

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as in yields

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

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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 catches

Verb

What catches my attention here is what these AI systems are actually being trained to recognize. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 The result is a blonde that catches the light beautifully and feels naturally lived in. — Emma-Jade Stoddart, Glamour, 20 Aug. 2026 SpaceX has already pulled off such chopstick catches with Super Heavy on three of Starship's 13 suborbital test flights to date. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Zach Marshall has the most experience in the position group, but has just 16 career catches for 199 yards and a TD. — CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 Tyler Clouse / Getty Images Earlier, Twins players and team legends also toured the movie site with several participating in father-son catches. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026 Be sure to grab a chocolate babka muffin and a slice of whatever the cake of the week is, as well as anything else that catches your eye. — Kyle Beechey, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Aug. 2026 Opening with the title track, feedback-heavy licks set the temperature as Dillom catches us up on the escapades of recent years. — Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026 But the dentist always catches me off guard, like a snake in the basement. — Zach Przystup, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2026

Noun

Rookie De'Zhaun Stribling and KhaDarel Hodge led the 49ers' receiving corps with 4 catches for 46 yards apiece. — CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 Hale finished with seven catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns. — Caleb Otte, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Then came two catches — the first to wide receiver AJ Henning for 20 yards followed by a 15-yarder to fellow wideout Malik Washington. — Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 Hunter finished his rookie campaign with only 28 catches, 298 yards and one touchdown on offense, with three pass breakups and 15 total tackles on defense. — Jeff Howe, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Dropped catches from Steve Smith, Green and Travis Head ensured yesterday's brief rally in the field fizzled out and allowed Bangladesh to bat itself into an almost impregnable position. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 Lan Larison, who began camp as the third running back, had seven carries for 1 yard and six catches for 38 yards. — Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2026 Wide receiver Caleb Douglas has stood out in training camp and translated that success to the joint-practice setting Wednesday, making multiple catches against Commanders defensive backs. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026 Last season, Stubitsch made 20 catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns for the Mustangs (9-5) and was relied on as a third-down receiver. — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catches

Verb

Kurt's key takeaways What grabs me about this story isn’t simply the fact that a robot was involved in eye surgery.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
The little breaths, the cloth grabs and punches were all deliberate.

— Simon Thompson, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of grabs

Verb

However, just as absurd are the directions the story takes from that point on, and the mechanics by which its central family secures their eventual happy ending.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
If no candidate secures a majority of the vote in Tuesday's primary, the contest could head to a runoff later this month to determine who takes on Democrat Annie Andrews in November.

— Caroline Linton, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of secures

Verb

This response — full-hearted, full-throttle, fullalove — was a vivid example of Keeganism itself, as this corner of England knows and understands it.

— Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Getty Images As the President of the Penske Corporation, Bud Denker knows how to close some major business deals.

— Bruce Martin, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of knows

Verb

The complaint also claims that the image deceives customers into thinking Lipa has endorsed the product and dilutes her brand identity.

— Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 11 May 2026
The fragmentary Ni 12501 tablet from the Early Dynastic III period of Mesopotamia breaks off when Fox deceives the inhabitants of the netherworld in his quest to retrieve the storm god Ishkur.

— Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025