intercept

American  

[in-ter-sept, in-ter-sept] / ˌɪn tərˈsɛpt, ˈɪn tərˌsɛpt /

verb (used with object)

• intercepts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• intercepted,
  past participle,  past
• intercepting
  present participle

1. to take, seize, or halt (someone or something on the way from one place to another); cut off from an intended destination.

   to intercept a messenger.

2. to see or overhear (a message, transmission, etc., meant for another).

   We intercepted the enemy's battle plan.

3. to stop or check (passage, travel, etc.).

   to intercept the traitor's escape.

4. Sports. to take possession of (a ball or puck) during an attempted pass by an opposing team.

5. to stop or interrupt the course, progress, or transmission of.

6. to destroy or disperse (enemy aircraft or a missile or missiles) in the air on the way to a target.

7. to stop the natural course of (light, water, etc.).

8. Mathematics. to mark off or include, as between two points or lines.

9. to intersect.

10. Obsolete. to prevent or cut off the operation or effect of.

11. Obsolete. to cut off from access, sight, etc.

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noun

1. an interception.

2. Mathematics.

   1. an intercepted segment of a line.

   2. (in a coordinate system) the distance from the origin to the point at which a curve or line intersects an axis.

intercept British  

verb

1. to stop, deflect, or seize on the way from one place to another; prevent from arriving or proceeding

2. sport to seize or cut off (a pass) on its way from one opponent to another

3. maths to cut off, mark off, or bound (some part of a line, curve, plane, or surface)

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noun

1. maths

   1. a point at which two figures intersect

   2. the distance from the origin to the point at which a line, curve, or surface cuts a coordinate axis

   3. an intercepted segment

2. sport the act of intercepting an opponent's pass

intercept Scientific  

/ ĭn′tər-sĕpt′ /

1. In a Cartesian coordinate system, the coordinate of a point at which a line, curve, or surface intersects a coordinate axis. If a curve intersects the x-axis at (4,0), then 4 is the curve's x-intercept; if the curve intersects the y-axis at (0,2), then 2 is its y-intercept.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interception
  noun
• interceptive
  adjective
• nonintercepting
  adjective
• noninterceptive
  adjective
• unintercepted
  adjective
• unintercepting
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• intercepting
  present
• intercepted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• intercept
  simple
• intercepts
  simple
• have intercepted
  perfect
• has intercepted
  perfect
• am intercepting
  progressive
• are intercepting
  progressive
• is intercepting
  progressive
• have been intercepting
  perfect progressive
• has been intercepting
  perfect progressive

Past

• intercepted
  simple
• had intercepted
  perfect
• was intercepting
  progressive
• were intercepting
  progressive
• had been intercepting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will intercept
  simple
• will have intercepted
  perfect
• will be intercepting
  progressive
• will have been intercepting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of intercept

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin interceptus, past participle of intercipere “to intercept,” equivalent to inter- “between, among, together” + -cep- (combining form of cap-, stem of capere “to take”) + -tus past participle suffix; see inter-; cf. incipient

Explanation

When you intercept a pass in football, you grab the ball that your opponent had thrown to a member of his own team. To intercept is to stop something from reaching its intended destination. If a national intelligence agency intercepts a telephone call being sent from one terrorist cell to another, they stop the message and also learn a bit about what's going on in the terrorist world. If you're planning a surprise party for your friend and she arrives a half hour early, you might run to intercept her while everyone rushes to hide.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intercept intercepts intercepted intercepting

In recent weeks, Russia has considerably stepped-up strikes with ballistic missiles -- a fast and powerful weapon that is hard to intercept.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

It would see Royal Navy vessels intercept all migrant boats in the Channel as part of a humanitarian response.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Ukraine's air force said it managed to intercept 55 missiles and 265 drones launched by Moscow.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Several European companies said they would jointly develop a system to intercept medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, moving to strengthen the continent’s defenses against potential aerial threats.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Joseph joined the chase and tried to intercept the straggly dog as he leapt up onto the sideboard, scattering piles of old candles and oyster shells.

From "The Marvels" by Brian Selznick

Italy provides financial and technical support to the Libyan Coast Guard, which in turn intercepts boats and returns migrants to mainland Libya.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

A top FBI official recently revealed that the bureau does have the authority to make such intercepts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

It now intercepts a vast proportion of drones and missiles – although Russia often fires them in such great numbers they overwhelmed air defences and many do get through.

From BBC ● May 25, 2026

Those intercepts are a success -- they prevented the missiles from striking their targets -- but they also come at the cost of pricey, high-tech interceptors that are in short supply.

From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026

In uncut forest, the canopy intercepts precipitation, absorbing the physical impact of its fall from the clouds.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Many of the drones were intercepted, but Kyiv's depleted air defences meant many of the missiles were not.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Moscow's mayor said Wednesday the country's air defences had intercepted and destroyed at least 10 drones heading toward the Russian capital.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Coast Guard says it intercepted a panga boat carrying more than 21 migrants Wednesday more than 70 miles offshore of the Southern California Coast, with one unresponsive man on board who later died.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

A recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling put some limits on the government’s ability to immediately send back migrants intercepted at sea, though legal experts told Reuters that this does not prevent their eventual expulsion.

From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026

“We intercepted this coded message from a hostile ship patrolling near the Strait of Hormuz.”

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

On eight of the last 14 days, Jordan’s military has reported on its website intercepting missiles or drones fired from Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

Kuwait, which like Bahrain hosts US military installations, also reported intercepting Iranian attacks.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

The Malaysian navy is efficient at intercepting them, and pushing them back out onto the open seas, and local fishing communities will not help.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

The Bliksem EXO system is designed to close a gap in European defenses by intercepting medium- and intermediate-range missiles in space.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

She steps forward, intercepting me in the middle of the lobby.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

Related Words

• ambush
• arrest
• block
• catch
• cut off
• deflect
• hijack
• prevent
• seize
• stop
• take away