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catch
verb
- To gain possession of, especially after a struggle or chase: capture, get, net1, secure, take. Informal: bag. Slang: nail. See get
- To come upon, especially suddenly or unexpectedly: hit on or upon, surprise, take. Informal: hit. See surprise
- To perceive, especially barely or fleetingly: descry, detect, discern, espy, glimpse, spot, spy. See see
- To get hold of (something moving): clutch1, grab, seize, snatch. Informal: nab. Idiom: lay hands on. See get
- To grasp at (something) eagerly, forcibly, and abruptly with the jaws: nip1, snap, snatch, strike. See reach
- To have a sudden overwhelming effect on: seize, strike, take. See attack, over
- To go aboard (a means of transport): board, take. See used
- To make secure: anchor, fasten, fix, moor, secure. Idiom: make fast. See move
- To become or cause to become stuck or lodged: fix, lodge, stick. See move
- To gain control of or an advantage over by or as if by trapping: enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, entrap, snare, tangle, trammel, trap, web. See free
- To deliver a powerful blow to suddenly and sharply: bash, clout, hit, knock, pop1, slam, slog, slug3, smash, smite, sock, strike, swat, thwack, whack, wham, whop. Informal: biff, bop, clip1, wallop. Slang: belt, conk, paste. Idioms: let someone have it, sock it to someone. See attack, strike
- To become affected with a disease: contract, develop, get, sicken, take. Idiom: come down with. See get
- To perceive and recognize the meaning of. Also used with on: accept, apprehend, compass, comprehend, conceive, fathom, follow, get, grasp, make out, read, see, sense, take, take in, understand. Informal: savvy. Slang: dig. Chiefly British: twig. Scots: ken. Idioms: get (or have) a handle on, get the picture. See understand
phrasal verb
catch up
- To come up even with another: overtake. See seek, win
- To draw in so that extrication is difficult: embrangle, embroil, implicate, involve, mix up, suck. See free, participate
- To compel, as the attention, interest, or imagination, of: arrest, enthrall, fascinate, grip, hold, mesmerize, rivet, spellbind, transfix. Slang: grab. See excite
noun
- The act of catching, especially a sudden taking and holding: clutch1, grab, seizure, snatch. See get
- A device for fastening or for checking motion: clasp, fastener, hook. See move
- A person or thing worth catching: plum, prize1. Slang: brass ring. See desire
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Informal. A tricky or unsuspected condition: rub, snag. See limited
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