Collocations for "catch"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "catch" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
catch
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.v
- catch the [ball, pass, throw]
- catch [a cold, the flu, chickenpox, your death]
- couldn't (even) catch (a) cold!
- caught him [cheating, stealing, trying]
- caught in the act
- caught (her) in the act (of)
- caught her [by surprise, off guard]
- caught me [by surprise]
- caught my [attention, eye]
- catch the [attention] of
- [she, a cat, something suspicious] caught my eye
- catch a [train, bus, flight, ride] (to)
- catch [a fish, a rabbit]
- [spider, lion, shark] catches its prey (by)
- (time to) catch my breath
- [I need to, let me, give me a minute to] catch my breath
- catch a [glimpse, peek] (at)
- catch a [fleeting, sneaky, brief] [glimpse] (of)
- I didn't (quite) catch [that, what you said]
- if you catch my [drift, meaning]
- catch up [to, with] the leader
- catch up with [work, the latest news, world events]
- catch up on [the news, each other's lives, homework, a show]
- catch [fire, on fire, light]
- catch and release
- [my shirt, the thread] caught on the [nail, door, corner]
- her [fingers, hair, skirt] got caught in [a, the, her]
- his [fingers] were caught in [the, a]
- caught her [fingers] in [the, a]
- got my [fingers] caught in the (car) door
- caught me by the [hand, ankle, shirt]
- caught in a [loveless marriage, dead-end job]
- you can't catch me!
- catch me if you can
- catch it while you can
- the [song, craze, product, idea] didn't catch on
- catch some [waves, sun, rays]
- caught wind of [it, his intention, her plans]
- catch hell for [a mistake, an error]
- a [spectacular, game-winning] catch
- what [a good, an amazing, a lucky] catch
- missed [the, an easy] catch
- how did he miss that catch?
- football: got the catch for a [touchdown, first down]
- playing catch in the [yard, playground, park, street]
- a catch in the [contract, fine print]
- a catch to [signing up, accepting the job]
- there is always a catch
- what's the catch?
- there's only one catch
- [she, your boyfriend] is a real catch
- [the fishermen, they] reeled in a [large, huge] catch
- [brought, hauled] in the day's catch
- lifted the catch (on)
- the catch on [the door, my necklace] (is broken)
'catch' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
German
- bait
- baseball
- boat
- bog
- bouncing
- breath
- bus
- butterfly
- claw
- clear
- cold
- convict
- decoy
- desirable
- drift
- eel
- elusive
- email
- emotional
- express
- fancy
- ferret
- ferry
- filter
- fish
- glimpse
- hawk
- implication
- killer
- latest
- local
- lucky
- lurch
- minute
- miss
- mussel
- outbound
- overnight
- plane
- quite a
- rat
- release
- rifle
- safe
- safety
- shrimp
- sleep
- sliding
- snail