Definition of catch_22
1. catch [ v ] discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
Examples: : "She caught her son eating candy"
"She was caught shoplifting"
(Jim Berry Pearson, The Maxwell Land Grant....)
District_Attorney M._W._Mills warned that he would vigorously prosecute persons caught committing these crimes or carrying arms - he just did n't catch anyone .
District_Attorney M._W._Mills warned that he would vigorously prosecute persons caught committing these crimes or carrying arms - he just did n't catch anyone .
(Tristram Coffin, Not to the Swift....)
They caught Trig stealing liquor from the officers ' mess , and he got a_couple_of girls in_trouble .
(Francis Pollini, Night....)
He had caught her coming_out of the shack .
(Ann Hebson, The Lattimer Legend....)
`` You 're gonna get caught '' , she heard Joel say to Uncle_Randolph by the pump one morning .
Synonyms catch Related Terms surprise2. catch [ v ] perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily
Examples:
"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"
(Organic Gardening and Farming,...)
Sometimes it takes several `` eatings '' of avocado to catch that delightful quality in taste that has made it such a favorite throughout the world .
(Frieda Arkin, "The Light of the Sea," in The...)
He ran on his plump sticks of legs , freezing now_and_again into the sudden startled attitudes which the camera had caught and held_on the paling photographs , all carefully placed and glued and labeled , resting in the fat plush album in the bottom drawer of the escritoire .
He gave Abel a quick glance and moved closer to the wheel , hugging it to him , and Abel caught this briefest of allusions to guilt .
Synonyms catch pick_up Related Terms perceive3. catch [ v ] reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot
Examples: : "the rock caught her in the back of the head"
"The blow got him in the back"
"The punch caught him in the stomach"
(W. H. Gass, "The Pedersen Kid," in The...)
When his arm came_up I ducked away but it caught me on the side of the neck , watering my eyes , and I backed_off to cough .
Synonyms catch get Related Terms hit4. catch [ v ] succeed in catching or seizing, , esp. after a chase
Examples:
"We finally got the suspect"
"Did you catch the thief?"
(Jim Berry Pearson, The Maxwell Land Grant....)
Finding him dead , Cook caught Russell 's horse and rode to the cattle foreman 's house to report the incident and request bloodhounds to trail the assassins .
(Francis Pollini, Night....)
He glowed with anticipation about what would happen to the culprits when they caught them .
Synonyms catch capture get Related Terms clutch seize recapture lasso capture5. catch [ v ] take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of
Examples:
"Catch the ball!"
"Grab the elevator door!"
(The Dallas Morning News,...)
His statistical record that year , when Texas won only one game and lost nine , was far from impressive : he carried the ball three times for a net gain of 10 yards , punted once for 39 yards and caught one pass for 13 yards .
(Bonnie Prudden, "The Dancer and the Gymnast"...)
Eventually the class will be able to kick up high enough so_that the teacher can catch the leading leg .
(Richard Ferber, Bitter Valley....)
She swung the quirt again , and this time he caught her wrist and pulled her out of the saddle .
Synonyms grab catch take_hold_of Related Terms seize clutch intercept fish harpoon hook net catch_up catcher catcher6. catch [ v ] to hook or entangle
Examples: : "One foot caught in the stirrup"
(Howard Fast, April Morning....)
The redcoat officer collapsed like a punctured bolster , and the horse reared and threw him from the saddle , except that one booted foot caught in the stirrup .
Synonyms catch hitch Related Terms unhitch attach snag7. catch [ v ] attract and fix
Examples:
"His look caught her"
"She caught his eye"
"Catch the attention of the waiter"
(Mr. America, 4:6...)
The aspects of physical development that catch the judges ' eyes and which rightfully influence their decisions are symmetry and that hallmark of the true champion - superior definition of the muscles .
(Arthur Miller, "The Prophecy," in The Best...)
She had begun to turn_back toward the house , but his look caught her and she stood_still , waiting there for what his expression indicated would be a serious word_of_farewell .
Synonyms catch get arrest Related Terms attract attract8. catch [ v ] capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping
Examples:
"I caught a rabbit in the trap toady"
(Brand Blanshard, "The Emotive Theory," Robert...)
We come_upon a rabbit that has been caught in one of the brutal traps in common use .
Synonyms catch capture Related Terms get hunt trap bag rat recapture batfowl9. catch [ v ] reach in time
Examples:
"I have to catch a train at 7 o'clock"
(Leo Lemon, "Catch Up With" and "Something to...)
We caught the early train to New_York .
Synonyms catch Related Terms board get overtake10. catch [ v ] get or regain something necessary, usually quickly or briefly
Examples:
"Catch some sleep"
"catch one's breath"
(Edwin Booth, Outlaw Town....)
Jess caught his breath in surprise .
Synonyms catch Related Terms get11. catch [ v ] be struck or affected by
Examples:
"catch fire", "catch the mood", etc.
(Mignon G. Eberhart, The Cup, the Blade...)
A rush of panic caught Sarah .
Synonyms catch Related Terms change12. catch [ v ] catch up with and possibly overtake
Examples:
"The Rolls Royce caught us near the exit ramp"
(Ralph J. Salisbury, "On the Old Santa Fe Trail...)
I let_up on the accelerator , only to gradually reach again the 60 m._p._h. which would , I hoped , overhaul Herry and the blonde , and as there were cars whose drivers apparently had something more important to catch than had I , Mrs._Major_Roebuck settled_down to practicing on Corporal_Johnson the kittenish wiles she would need when making her duty call on Colonel and Mrs. Somebody in Sante_Fe .
Synonyms catch_up_with overtake catch Related Terms passing compete13. catch [ v ] see or watch
Examples:
"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"
(Julia Newman, "Travel and Camera USA"...)
Of special interest this anniversary year of the war_between_the_states are the many Civil_War battlefields where , likely as not , you 'll catch some memorial re-enactments .
Synonyms see watch view take_in catch Related Terms watch visualise preview spectate see view spectator watch seer14. catch [ v ] grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of
Examples:
"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"
(Brainard Cheney, "Christianity and the Tragic Vision-Ut...)
He opens his discourse , however , with a review of the Eisenhower inaugural festivities at which a sympathetic press had assembled its massive talents , all primed to catch some revelation of the emerging new age .
Synonyms get catch Related Terms understand get15. catch [ v ] cause to become accidentally or suddenly caught, ensnared, or entangled
Examples:
"I caught the hem of my dress in the brambles"
(W. E. B. DuBois, Worlds of Color....)
He was caught in a machine .
Synonyms catch Related Terms hitch16. catch [ v ] contract
Examples:
"did you catch a cold?"
(Perry Miller "Theodore Parker: Apostasy within Liberalism"...)
And he took repeated care to let his colleagues know that he intended them : `` Even the Unitarian churches have caught the malaria , and are worse than those who deceived them '' - which implied that they were very bad indeed .
Synonyms catch Related Terms contract catch_cold contract17. catch [ n ] a hidden drawback
Examples:
"it sounds good but what's the catch?"
(R. F. Shaw, "The `Private Eye`"...)
There is only one catch to this idyllic arrangement :
Synonyms catch Related Terms drawback18. catch [ v ] check oneself during an action
Examples:
"She managed to catch herself before telling her boss what was on her mind"
(Richard Tiernan, "Land of the Silver Dollar,"...)
`` God does n't have any appliance or cosmetics '' , he said heatedly before he caught himself .
Synonyms catch Related Terms control19. catch [ v ] detect a blunder or misstep
Examples: : "The reporter tripped up the senator"
(Jack Kaplan, "The Health Machine Menace: Therapy by...)
Yes , Tom caught it in_time to stay alive .
Synonyms catch trip_up Related Terms learn trip20. catch [ v ] hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers
Examples:
"We overheard the conversation at the next table"
21. catch [ v ] become aware of
Examples:
"he caught her staring out the window"
22. catch [ n ] anything that is caught (especially if it is worth catching)
Examples:
"he shared his catch with the others"
23. catch [ v ] be the catcher, in baseball
Examples:
"Who is catching?"
24. catch [ v ] start burning
Examples:
"The fire caught."
25. catch [ n ] a person regarded as a good matrimonial prospect
Synonyms match catch Related Terms adult match26. catch [ n ] a fastener that fastens or locks a door or window
Synonyms catch Related Terms fastener hasp hook hood_latch latch hitch27. catch [ n ] the quantity that was caught
Examples:
"the catch was only 10 fish"
28. catch [ v ] spread or be communicated
Examples:
"The fashion did not catch"
29. catch [ n ] a restraint that checks the motion of something
Examples:
"he used a book as a stop to hold the door open"
30. catch [ n ] the act of catching an object with the hands
Examples:
"Mays made the catch with his back to the plate"
31. catch [ v ] delay or hold up; prevent from proceeding on schedule or as planned
Examples:
"I was caught in traffic and missed the meeting"
32. catch [ v ] attract; cause to be enamored
Examples:
"She captured all the men's hearts"
33. catch [ v ] apprehend and reproduce accurately
Examples:
"She really caught the spirit of the place in her drawings"
"She got the mood just right in her photographs"
34. catch [ v ] perceive by hearing
Examples:
"I didn't catch your name"
"She didn't get his name when they met the first time"
35. catch [ v ] suffer from the receipt of
Examples:
"She will catch hell for this behavior!"
36. catch [ n ] a break or check in the voice (usually a sign of strong emotion)
Synonyms catch Related Terms manner_of_speaking37. catch [ n ] a cooperative game in which a ball is passed back and forth
Examples:
"he played catch with his son in the backyard"
38. catch [ v ] take in and retain
Examples:
"We have a big barrel to catch the rainwater"
39. catch [ n ] the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal)
Examples:
"the policeman on the beat got credit for the collar"
Similar Spelling
catchcatchy
cattish
catechu
