EN

Synonyms for catch

  • verb
  • noun

Most common

take get hook get on capture trap see come down with

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Capture prey — to receive (by being in the way). To be hit by something

take, get, hook, get on, take hold, snare, nab, apprehend, do, seize, fasten, secure, grip, clutch, con

2. Capture

capture, trap, captivate, charm, bewitch, fascinate, net, ensnare, bag informal, entrap, entangle, enchant, beguile, entrance

3. Watch

see, take in, watch, discover, hear, understand, view, comprehend

4. Come down with — to receive (by being in the way). To become infected by (an illness)

come down with, contract, acquire

Other

grab, make, overtake, grasp, hit, carry away, trip up, detect, win, overhear

Noun

1. Stop — A stopping mechanism, especially a clasp which stops something from opening

stop, lock, clasp, latch, hasp, chock

2. Hitch — A concealed difficulty, especially in a deal or negotiation

hitch, snag, trick, gimmick, problem

3. The act of catching a ball — A fragment of music or poetry

snatch, bit, snippet, fragment

4. Arrest

arrest, collar, apprehension, pinch

Other

find, snap, haul, check, intercept, take-up, curb US, pick-up, touch, rub, seizure, grapple

Antonyms

throw, drop, escape

All antonyms of catch →

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To receive (by being in the way). To become infected by (an illness).

    Near-synonym: come down with

  2. v. 2

    To receive (by being in the way). To be hit by something.

    He caught a bullet in the back of the head last year.

  3. n. 1

    A stopping mechanism, especially a clasp which stops something from opening.

    She installed a sturdy catch to keep her cabinets closed tight.

  4. n. 2

    A concealed difficulty, especially in a deal or negotiation.

    Be careful, that's a catch question.

Related words

Word family
catch-basin catchy catch-all catcher catchfly catchment catchpenny catchstitch
Phrases
catch fire catch on catch sight of catch it catch a dick catch hell catch one's breath safety catch

Forms

Plural
catches → stops, locks, clasps, latches…

Choose the right word

or Catch?

To catch is to come up with or take possession of something departing, fugitive, or illusive. We catch a runaway horse, a flying ball, a mouse in a trap.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

  • hook Please hang your coat on the hook behind the door.
  • snare I have been living like a wolf trapped in a snare.
  • nab Slow down. Cops like to nab people up there.
  • capture Sami and Layla needed to split up to avoid capture.
  • trap I think it is cruel to trap animals for fur coats.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
catchrising
hookrising
snarerising
nabrising
capturerising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

2 letters
do1
3 letters
get1, see1, hit1, win1, bit1, net1, bag1, con1, rub1, nab1
4 letters
make1, take1, find1, stop1, hear1, view1, grab1, lock1, hook1, trap1, snap1, grip1, haul1, curb1
5 letters
watch1, check1, touch1, trick1, charm1, grasp1, seize1, pinch1, hitch1, latch1, snare1, clasp1, chock1
6 letters
secure2, arrest2, detect2, collar2, clutch1, snatch1, fasten2, entrap2
7 letters
problem2, capture2, acquire3, seizure2, gimmick2, snippet2, grapple2, enchant2, ensnare2, bewitch2, beguile2
8 letters
contract2, entrance2, discover3, fragment2, overtake3, overhear3, entangle3
9 letters
intercept3, apprehend3, captivate3, fascinate3
10 letters
understand3, comprehend3
12 letters
apprehension4

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (secure2 = 2 syllables).

In other languages

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attraper
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