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

Fixed on a mobile rig that will at times careen and whoosh across the stage when not otherwise holding on Winter, Anderson’s camera catches the expressionism and chiaroscuro of stage lights illuminating and fading off the singer’s face. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026 Chicago White Sox right fielder Braden Montgomery (24) catches a fly ball in the first inning of a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Rate Field on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. — Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026 Tuffy’s Corner, named for a local undertaker, is a frequent accident site, and Harley Corner is a reducing-radius turn that sometimes catches motorcyclists off guard. — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 Casting his eye around the solar system, Saturn’s moon Rhea catches Neveu's attention as potentially having reformed following an impact. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 27 Sep. 2026 The open-air lobby catches the island's ever-present breeze and looks out over all 12 acres of the beachfront property, where bridges cross a freshwater lagoon loaded with koi, cascading waterfalls, and tropical birds. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026 In the film, a viral video of an 8-year-old Bulgarian artist catches the eye of a major art collector. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026 The varying shapes and sizes give the manicure a whimsy, almost candy-like finish that catches the light from every angle. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 24 Sep. 2026 Philadelphia’s Kevin Curtis has 11 receptions for 221 yards and Detroit’s Roy Williams catches 9 passes for 204. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

Noun

Inside the numbers Smith is one of three Big Ten receivers tied for the FBS lead in touchdown catches with seven each. — Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026 And his six touchdown catches are tied for fourth, with Smith, Rutgers’ KJ Duff and Illinois’ Collin Dixon all having seven. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026 Playmaking receiver Malakai Iverson has 15 catches for 267 yards and two scores. — David Hinojosa, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Sep. 2026 SpaceX has already pulled off chopstick catches with Super Heavy, doing so on three Starship test flights to date. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026 With Puca Nacua out again with a hip injury, Davante Adams had seven receptions for 137 yards, giving him 15 catches for 332 yards over his last two games, the best such stretch of his career. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 Jefferson had two catches for 32 yards from Kyler Murray in Sunday's 23-16 win over the Buccaneers. — Nick Lentz, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026 Kraft finished the game with four catches for 26 yards on eight targets. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 Receiver Drake London, who had six catches for 80 yards in the first two games, had a monstrous nine-catch, 194-yard performance. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catches

Verb

Over the course of Next Gen NYC’s season, which ended this past week, the model Ava Dash grabs a slice of pizza on Fulton Street; strolls through the Seaport; and calls her father, the hip-hop mogul Damon Dash, from a bench at Pier 17.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 29 Sep. 2026
Ryan opens it, grabs a Diet Coke and asks one of his assistants to summon a cup of ice.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of grabs

Verb

But while Antetokounmpo gets most of the attention as the Heat’s new star, Adebayo will again be relied on to be the team’s leader.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Known as the Shark Bay UNESCO World Heritage Site, the place gets its name from English buccaneer-cum-naturalist William Dampier, who was overcome by the bay’s sheer abundance and the size of the marine predators during a visit in 1699.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of gets

Verb

The Miami Dolphins aren’t going to beat an opponent this season until South Florida’s NFL franchise stops beating itself.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
What’s even more interesting is that the pattern persists above the temperature where uranium ditelluride stops being superconducting.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of stops

Verb

The home team secures the victory when Phil Mickelson knocks one in the water at the par-3 16th hole, conceding his match to Francesco Molinari right on the tee box.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
In other words, filing now secures your claim before the deadline.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of secures

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

Definition of deceives

Verb

After being acquitted on a technicality, the former leader encounters the ghosts of Mayan genocide victims as protests break out throughout the country in response to the verdict.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
For example, turbulence arises when a flowing fluid encounters an obstacle that changes the velocity of part of the flow.

— Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of encounters

Verb

In my experience running organic and paid search programs for B2B software companies, this shows up long before anyone notices it in a budget review.

— Gaetano Romeo, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
About ten minutes into the standoff, the detective notices Bottom holding something in his hand.

— Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 3 Oct. 2026