Illustration of catapult
- catapult 1
cat·a·pult
ˈka-tə-ˌpəlt 
-ˌpu̇lt
1
: an ancient military device for hurling missiles
2
: a device for launching an airplane at flying speed (as from an aircraft carrier)
catapulted; catapulting; catapults
: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult
: to become catapulted
he catapulted to fame
Synonyms
Examples of catapult in a Sentence
Verb
They catapulted rocks toward the castle.
The publicity catapulted her CD to the top of the charts.
The novel catapulted him from unknown to best-selling author.
He catapulted to fame after his first book was published.
Her career was catapulting ahead.
Recent Examples on the Web
Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 18 June 2024
The use of trebuchets and other catapults began to dwindle after the invention of modern gunpowder artillery in the 15th century.
—Benjamin Brown, CNN, 14 June 2024
Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 20 June 2024
Social media, Alex Badia notes, catapulted the city into a new realm.
—Fairchild Studio, WWD, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for catapult 
Noun
As the project continued, a total of eight catapult shots were uncovered.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 18 June 2024
The use of trebuchets and other catapults began to dwindle after the invention of modern gunpowder artillery in the 15th century.
—Benjamin Brown, CNN, 14 June 2024
Verb
Thanks to his starring role as Anthony Bridgerton on Bridgerton, Jonathan Bailey has catapulted himself into the public consciousness.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 20 June 2024
Social media, Alex Badia notes, catapulted the city into a new realm.
—Fairchild Studio, WWD, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for catapult
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catapult.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near catapult
Cite this Entry
“Catapult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catapult. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
catapult
1 of 2 noun
cat·a·pult
ˈkat-ə-ˌpəlt
-ˌpu̇lt
1
: an ancient military device for hurling missiles
2
: a device for launching an airplane (as from the deck of an aircraft carrier)
catapult
2 of 2 verb1
: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult
2
: to become catapulted
he catapulted to fame
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share