English Expressions, Idioms & Phrasal Verbs | Meanings, Examples & Usage
to find a problem or defect in a system
"The developer was able to catch a bug in the system before it went live."
to become ill with a cold
"You’ll catch a cold if you go out in this rain."
to try to grab something quickly; to take advantage of an opportunity suddenly
"He caught at the rope before he fell off the boat."
to take an opportunity eagerly
"She caught at the chance to study abroad."
to start burning; to become very exciting or popular
"The dry leaves quickly caught fire in the heat."
to grab something or someone firmly
"She caught hold of his hand to stop him from leaving."
to achieve something amazing and rare through creativity or luck
"Their new design caught lightning in a bottle."
to surprise someone unexpectedly
"Her sudden question caught me off guard."
to become popular or widely accepted
"The idea of remote work quickly caught on after the pandemic."
to understand new concepts or ideas fast
"She catches on quickly when it comes to math problems."
to understand or learn something new, especially after some time
"It took him a few weeks to catch on to the new reporting system."
to become popular or well-accepted among people
"The innovative idea quickly caught on with young consumers."
to stop and rest for a moment after physical activity
"After running upstairs, I stopped to catch my breath."
to trick someone into making a mistake; to discover someone doing something wrong
"The reporter tried to catch out the politician with a tricky question."
to get some sleep
"I need to catch some z’s before the meeting."
to show that someone has made a mistake or is lying
"The teacher tried to catch the student out during the test."
to catch someone in the act of doing something wrong
"The police caught him red-handed as he was stealing from the store."
to attract someone's attention
"The bright red car caught my eye as it drove past."
to be on time for a train or event
"Hurry up or you’ll not catch the train!"
to become very interested in traveling
"After visiting Thailand, she really caught the travel bug."
to reach the same level or progress as others
"I missed a few classes, so I need to catch up on the lessons."
to become involved in something, often unwillingly
"He got caught up in a legal issue he didn’t understand."
to do something that one has missed or delayed doing before a deadline
"I stayed late to catch up on my unfinished reports."
to reach the same level or position as someone ahead
"He ran faster to catch up to the leading runner."
to reach the same level or standard as others
"Many companies are trying to catch up with global tech giants."
to stay updated with the latest developments or innovations
"Founders must catch up with trends to stay competitive."
to deceive someone by creating a fake online identity
"He was catfished by someone pretending to be a model."
A woman who is very confident and stylish, like a model
"She walked into the room like a catwalk queen."
in a difficult situation where any choice you make will have negative consequences
"I'm caught between a rock and a hard place - both options are terrible."
to fail because of trying to do two things at once
"He was caught between two stools—trying to please both his boss and his team."
surprised or shocked by something unexpected
"She was caught off guard by the sudden question."
Recorded on video; captured visually
"The accident was caught on camera by a passerby."
to be caught in the act of doing something wrong
"The thief was caught red-handed stealing the wallet."
To be caught unprepared or embarrassed.
"The manager was caught with his pants down when asked about the figures."
to mark achievements alongside someone
"We celebrate wins with a quick message in the team chat."
to join in celebration with people from other cultural backgrounds
"We love to celebrate with friends during their cultural festivals."
to join in the cultural festivities of people from other backgrounds
"We should celebrate with others to appreciate their culture and values."
to focus attention or thoughts on something; to make something the main point
"Try to center on the positive aspects of your life instead of the negatives."
to find balance and emotional calm within yourself
"Meditation helps her center herself when she feels stressed."
a series of events triggered by one event
"One breakthrough can start a chain reaction of new innovations."
to achieve or record something, especially a success or victory
"He chalked up another win in his career."
to credit progress achieved over time
"We chalk up improvements to consistent practice and rest."
to attribute something to a particular reason
"We chalked it up to experience and moved forward."
to shift to a new way of thinking or doing things
"We need to change gears if we want to reach our target in time."
Everything in life keeps changing; nothing stays the same.
"Don’t resist — change is the only constant."
a change in leadership or authority
"There has been a change of guard in the ruling party."
a change in the way one feels about something or someone
"He had a change of heart and decided to stay."
a new environment or situation
"After months of work, I needed a change of scene."
to change one's opinion or attitude
"After hearing the good news, he decided to change his tune."
to introduce something that significantly alters an industry or field
"5G technology will change the game for mobile communication."