Synonyms of catching

catching 1 of 2

adjective

ˈka-chiŋ 

1

as in infectious

capable of being passed by physical contact from one person to another

a cold is often catching before the symptoms even begin

Synonyms & Similar Words

• infectious
• communicable
• infective
• contagious
• transmissible
• transmittable
• pestilent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• noninfectious
• noncommunicable

2

as in spreading

exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others

a catching smile that instantly puts patients at ease

Synonyms & Similar Words

• infectious
• spreading
• contagious
• epidemic
• tangible
• perceptible
• overpowering
• irresistible
• winning
• overwhelming
• irresistable
• palpable
• inviting
• fetching
• endearing
• disarming
• winsome

catching

2 of 2

verb

present participle of catch

1

as in grabbing

to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly

we tried to catch the kitten before she could sneak out the door

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grabbing
• snatching
• capturing
• seizing
• getting
• snagging
• trapping
• landing
• nabbing
• snaring
• hooking
• corralling
• bagging
• grappling
• nailing
• netting
• copping
• rapping
• collaring
• taking hold (of)
• snapping (up)
• glomming
• grasping
• holding
• nobbling
• arresting
• clutching
• apprehending
• detaining
• securing
• roping
• lassoing
• gloving
• gripping
• clasping
• cornering
• kidnapping
• haltering
• abducting
• ensnaring
• entrapping
• baying
• kidnaping
• entangling
• rending
• wresting
• fastening (on)
• latching (on or onto)
• fisting
• meshing
• enmeshing
• spiriting (away or off)
• immeshing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• missing
• releasing
• discharging
• freeing
• dropping
• liberating
• loosening
• unhanding

2

as in getting

to become affected with (a disease or disorder)

you'll catch the flu for sure if you don't get a shot

Synonyms & Similar Words

• getting
• contracting
• taking
• coming down (with)
• going down (with)
• sickening (with)
• dying (from)
• failing
• succumbing (to)
• breaking out (with)
• worsening
• weakening
• sinking
• languishing
• wasting (away)
• withering
• wilting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gaining
• recovering
• healing
• coming back
• recuperating
• mending
• recouping
• shaking (off)
• recovering (from)
• snapping back
• rallying
• rebounding

3

as in stopping

to bring (something) to a standstill

I caught myself just as I was about to step into the freshly poured concrete

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stopping
• halting
• stalling
• checking
• blocking
• arresting
• staying
• hindering
• stilling
• holding
• pulling up
• suspending
• snagging
• impeding
• bringing up
• drawing up
• obstructing
• holding up
• stemming
• ending
• fetching up
• detaining
• clogging
• balking
• holding back
• concluding
• terminating
• blockading
• baffling
• cutting off
• suppressing
• damming
• calling
• squashing
• discontinuing
• repressing
• stunting
• turning back
• bottlenecking
• reining (in)
• squelching
• staunching
• choking off
• stanching

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continuing
• keeping (on)
• persisting
• carrying on
• moving
• keeping up
• running on
• advancing
• progressing
• proceeding
• marching
• pushing
• driving
• going along
• stirring
• faring
• following through (with)
• spurring
• propelling
• actuating
• wending
• impelling
• goading
• budging

4

as in securing

to put securely in place or in a desired position

caught back her hair with a barrette

Synonyms & Similar Words

• securing
• fastening
• hitching
• clamping
• anchoring
• fixing
• mooring
• setting
• embedding
• wedging
• imbedding
• implanting
• entrenching
• intrenching
• lodging
• stuffing
• engraining
• ingraining

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loosening
• loosing
• pulling
• unfastening
• extracting
• prying
• yanking
• tearing (out)
• unloosing
• uprooting
• unloosening
• unfixing
• wresting
• rooting (out)
• prizing

5

as in knowing

to have a clear idea of

I didn't catch the point you were making about our nation's foreign policy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• knowing
• understanding
• deciphering
• seeing
• recognizing
• grasping
• appreciating
• comprehending
• getting
• realizing
• perceiving
• sensing
• making
• discerning
• apprehending
• seizing
• conceiving
• assimilating
• digging
• decoding
• registering
• beholding
• intuiting
• tumbling (to)
• catching on (to)
• twigging
• making out
• cognizing
• savvying
• compassing
• grokking
• absorbing
• picking up on
• digesting
• cottoning (to or on to)
• fathoming
• penetrating
• taking in
• piercing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• missing
• mistaking
• misinterpreting
• misreading
• misunderstanding
• misconstruing
• misconceiving
• misperceiving
• misapprehending

6

as in tricking

to cause to believe what is untrue

a number of media outlets were caught by the woman's hard-luck story

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tricking
• fooling
• deceiving
• teasing
• kidding
• juggling
• duping
• gaffing
• misleading
• deluding
• stinging
• conning
• gulling
• suckering
• hoodwinking
• cheating
• misinforming
• having
• misguiding
• burning
• bamboozling
• bluffing
• humbugging
• snookering
• hoaxing
• spoofing
• sucking in
• gammoning
• stringing along
• beguiling
• taking in
• faking out
• cozening
• snowing
• having on
• buffaloing
• hornswoggling
• sticking
• doing a number on
• pulling one's leg
• defrauding
• leading one up the garden path
• pulling the wool over one's eyes
• leading one down the garden path
• hustling
• swindling
• fleecing
• shortchanging
• rooking
• bleeding
• putting on
• squeezing
• chiselling
• mulcting
• chiseling
• diddling
• skinning
• euchring
• flimflamming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• exposing
• uncovering
• revealing
• disclosing
• telling
• debunking
• unmasking
• showing up
• divulging
• undeceiving
• unveiling
• disabusing
• uncloaking
• disillusioning
• disenchanting

7

as in encountering

to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face

I'll catch you at the library tomorrow

Synonyms & Similar Words

• encountering
• meeting
• confronting
• greeting
• happening (upon)
• running into
• running across
• stumbling (upon)
• bumping into
• running upon
• facing
• chancing (upon)
• accosting
• crossing paths (with)
• passing
• saluting
• crossing
• colliding (with)
• crisscrossing
• crashing (into)
• hitting (upon)
• tumbling (to)
• lighting (upon)
• re-encountering
• reencountering
• remeeting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoiding
• escaping
• shaking
• evading
• dodging
• eluding
• ducking
• shunning

8

as in noticing

to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes

I looked out the window just in time to catch the neighbor's dog digging up my flower bed

Synonyms & Similar Words

• noticing
• spotting
• seeing
• eying
• eyeing
• regarding
• watching
• viewing
• remarking
• spying
• observing
• perceiving
• looking (at)
• witnessing
• sighting
• noting
• distinguishing
• discerning
• beholding
• espying
• identifying
• descrying
• getting a load of
• considering
• laying eyes on
• setting eyes on
• scanning
• studying
• picking out
• inspecting
• marking
• examining
• surveying
• heeding
• scrutinizing
• attending (to)
• making out
• glimpsing
• glancing (at)
• picking up
• minding
• peering (at)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignoring
• neglecting
• disregarding
• missing
• passing over
• overlooking
• overpassing

9

as in chasing

to move fast enough to get even with

despite the suspect's considerable lead, the fleet-footed police officer was able to catch him and make an arrest

Synonyms & Similar Words

• chasing
• overtaking
• reaching
• pursuing
• overhauling
• catching up (with)
• passing
• gaining
• surpassing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• falling short

Examples of catching in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Rescue crews in Alaska are attempting to rescue two mountain climbers, who attempted to scale the Denali mountain before catching hypothermia. —Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 30 May 2024

The 19-year-old catching prospect has the body of a big leaguer — 6 feet 4 and perhaps still growing — but the face and wide smile of a teenager. —Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 15 Mar. 2024

Without Bart, Blake Sabol and Jackson Reetz represent the catching depth at Triple-A Sacramento. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024

Grandal would join a catching situation that includes former No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis, Jason Delay and Ali Sánchez. —Will Graves, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024