catch

n.

1. Something caught or worth catching

   take, haul, treasure, prize, cache, trophy, booty, prey, quarry, game, bag, bonanza, good thing, plum, find, jewel, pride and joy, discovery, gem, lucky strike; see also booty.

2. *A desirable mate

   eligible bachelor, conquest, prize, rich man, rich woman, number*, score*, piece*, hunk*, lady-killer*; see also sense 1, fiancé, lover 1.

3. The act of catching

   capture, seizure, grasping, apprehension, taking into captivity, take, snatching, disclosure, uncovering, nab*, cop*, bag*, scoop*, pickup*, grab*, haul*, collar*. *

4. A hidden qualification

   drawback, snag, trick, catch question, puzzle, conundrum, trap, hitch, rub, joker, kicker*, puzzler*, curve*, gimmick*, strings*; see also difficulty 1, impediment 1, trick 1.

5. A hook

   latch, clasp, clamp, snap; see fastener, lock 1.

catch

v.

1. To seize hold of

   snatch, take, take hold of, seize, snag, grab, pick, pounce on, fasten upon, pluck, hook, entangle, claw, clench, clasp, grasp, clutch, grip, glom*, glom onto*, glove*; see also sense 2, seize 1.

   Antonyms free, miss*, drop. *

2. To bring into captivity

   capture, trap, apprehend, arrest, seize, snare, net, bag, nab*; see also sense 1, arrest 1, seize 2.

3. To come to from behind

   overtake, intercept, overhaul, reach, go after, get, come upon, run down, gain on, catch up with, cut off; see also pass 1, reach 1.

   Antonyms falter, fail*, lag behind.

4. To contract a disease

   get, contract, come down with, fall ill, develop, become infected, incur, suffer from, become subject to, become liable to, fall victim to, take, succumb to, break out with, break out in.

   Antonyms ward off, escape*, get over. *

5. To take unawares

   surprise, detect, find, expose; see discover, find 1, surprise 2.

6. To trick

   fool, hoax, ensnare, trip up*; see deceive.

7. To reach in time to board

   get on, climb on, board, make, take, hop on, grab*, jump*; see also board 2.

catch, the most general term here, refers to the seizing or taking of a person or thing, whether by skill, cunning, or surprise, and usually implies pursuit; capture stresses seizure by force or stratagem to capture an outlaw; nab, an informal word, specifically implies a sudden or quick taking into custody the police nabbed the thief; trap and snare both imply the literal or figurative use of a device for catching a person or animal and suggest a situation from which escape is difficult or impossible to trap a bear, snared by their false promises