catch

How to use catch in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for catch.

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Editorial note

For those that didn't catch it, this is from Brad Fitzpatrick, the same guy who made memcache

Examples13

Definitions39

Parts of speech2

Quick take

a drawback or difficulty that is not readily evident; "it sounds good but what's the catch?"

Meaning at a glance

The clearest senses and uses of catch gathered in one view.

noun

a drawback or difficulty that is not readily evident; "it sounds good but what's the catch?"

noun

the quantity that was caught; "the catch was only 10 fish"

noun

a person regarded as a good matrimonial prospect

Definitions

Core meanings and parts of speech for catch.

noun

a drawback or difficulty that is not readily evident; "it sounds good but what's the catch?"

noun

the quantity that was caught; "the catch was only 10 fish"

noun

a person regarded as a good matrimonial prospect

noun

anything that is caught (especially if it is worth catching); "he shared his catch with the others"

noun

a break or check in the voice (usually a sign of strong emotion)

noun

a restraint that checks the motion of something; "he used a book as a stop to hold the door open"

noun

a fastener that fastens or locks a door or window

noun

a cooperative game in which a ball is passed back and forth; "he played catch with his son in the backyard"

noun

the act of catching an object with the hands; "Mays made the catch with his back to the plate"; "he made a grab for the ball before it landed"; "Martin's snatch at the bridle failed and the horse raced away"; "the infielder's snap and throw was a single motion"

noun

the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal); "the policeman on the beat got credit for the collar"

See also: apprehension, arrest, collar, pinch

verb

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"

verb

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"

verb

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"

See also: get

verb

take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of; "Catch the ball!"; "Grab the elevator door!"

verb

succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase; "We finally got the suspect"; "Did you catch the thief?"

verb

to hook or entangle; "One foot caught in the stirrup"

verb

attract and fix; "His look caught her"; "She caught his eye"; "Catch the attention of the waiter"

verb

capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping; "I caught a rabbit in the trap today"

verb

reach in time; "I have to catch a train at 7 o'clock"

verb

get or regain something necessary, usually quickly or briefly; "Catch some sleep"; "catch one's breath"

verb

catch up with and possibly overtake; "The Rolls Royce caught us near the exit ramp"

verb

be struck or affected by; "catch fire"; "catch the mood"

verb

check oneself during an action; "She managed to catch herself before telling her boss what was on her mind"

verb

hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers; "We overheard the conversation at the next table"

verb

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"

verb

cause to become accidentally or suddenly caught, ensnared, or entangled; "I caught the hem of my dress in the brambles"

verb

detect a blunder or misstep; "The reporter tripped up the senator"

verb

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"

See also: get

verb

contract; "did you catch a cold?"

verb

start burning; "The fire caught"

verb

perceive by hearing; "I didn't catch your name"; "She didn't get his name when they met the first time"

See also: get

verb

suffer from the receipt of; "She will catch hell for this behavior!"

See also: get

verb

attract; cause to be enamored; "She captured all the men's hearts"

verb

apprehend and reproduce accurately; "She really caught the spirit of the place in her drawings"; "She got the mood just right in her photographs"

See also: get

verb

take in and retain; "We have a big barrel to catch the rainwater"

verb

spread or be communicated; "The fashion did not catch"

verb

be the catcher; "Who is catching?"

verb

become aware of; "he caught her staring out the window"

verb

delay or hold up; prevent from proceeding on schedule or as planned; "I was caught in traffic and missed the meeting"

Example sentences

For those that didn't catch it, this is from Brad Fitzpatrick, the same guy who made memcache

I sincerely wish I would have been able to help catch this before it got out of hand.

People used to be afraid of people who had heart disease, as if they might "catch something" from them.

" No blacklist is going to catch that guy.- Okay, let's use something else to flag bot vs. non-bot.

People would catch on a lot quicker if it were called "unlimited salary.

The guards came in riot gear to tackle him, but he was so slippery it was like trying to catch an eel.

We need to catch him before he masquerades as a citizen, otherwise we will never find him.

We were the 1st to do a popup login flow for OpenID and several other cool things MySpace was doing to catch Facebook.

If you want to be perfectly safe, you'll never leave your house in case you catch a germ, get in a car accident or even slip on a banana peel.

But seductive dystopias are dangerous because they can catch on. Who wouldn't want low crime, clean streets, and a wonderfully healthy economy?

The scariest dystopias are not hideous hellscapes where nobody would want to live, as those tend to self-destruct or at best persist in tiny enclaves and never catch on. Who would want to emulate North Korea?

I don't think I got out of bed for a couple of weeks, and I didn't show up to an Easter lunch with my family because figuring out which train to catch was too hard.

There's been times when I didn't have time to catch my flight, or my stress levels were bordering on unmanageable, or I didn't want to miss that wedding at any cost.