catch phrase

American  

Or catchphrase

noun

1. a phrase that attracts or is meant to attract attention.

2. a phrase, as a slogan, that comes to be widely and repeatedly used, often with little of the original meaning remaining.

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catch phrase British  

noun

1. a well-known frequently used phrase, esp one associated with a particular group, etc

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Etymology

Origin of catch phrase

First recorded in 1840–50; catch(word) + phrase

Example Sentences

The catch phrase “demographics is destiny” isn’t quite right.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

"The catch phrase is always 'physics beyond the Standard Model,'" Gaskell said.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2024

The theme is a heist to steal the draft, and the catch phrase, “The house always wins,” is a double-entendre reference to a Las Vegas casino and the Rams House.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2022

“Well, there goes my no-hitter,” Santangelo wrote on Twitter Wednesday, repeating a catch phrase he said after the Nationals’ first hit each game.

From Washington Times • Nov. 3, 2021

It is a catch phrase, made famous by Mahan and glibly used ever since.

From A History of Sea Power by Stevens, William Oliver