catapult
Americannoun
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an ancient military engine for hurling stones, arrows, etc.
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a device for launching an airplane from the deck of a ship.
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British. a slingshot.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to be catapulted.
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to move or spring up suddenly, quickly, or forcibly, as if by means of a catapult.
The car catapulted down the highway. When he heard the alarm he catapulted out of bed.
noun
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US and Canadian name: slingshot. a Y-shaped implement with a loop of elastic fastened to the ends of the two prongs, used mainly by children for shooting small stones, etc
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a heavy war engine used formerly for hurling stones, etc
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a device installed in warships to launch aircraft
verb
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(tr) to shoot forth from or as if from a catapult
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to move precipitately
she was catapulted to stardom overnight
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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catapultsimple
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catapultssimple
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have catapultedperfect
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has catapultedperfect
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am catapultingprogressive
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are catapultingprogressive
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is catapultingprogressive
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have been catapultingperfect progressive
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has been catapultingperfect progressive
Past
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catapultedsimple
-
had catapultedperfect
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was catapultingprogressive
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were catapultingprogressive
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had been catapultingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of catapult
1570–80; < Latin catapulta < Greek katapéltēs, equivalent to kata- cata- + péltēs hurler, akin to pállein to hurl
Explanation
A catapult is something that hurls things through the air, like a catapult that sends pumpkins flying in an annual Halloween competition. To pronounce catapult, accent the first syllable: "CAT a pult." Catapult can also be a verb that means "to hurl or shoot forward." It's not only objects that catapult. A hit single can catapult a band to great fame, for example, or a high score may catapult you into first place. Just don't catapult any cats. That would catapult you to notoriety, and probably also to jail.
Vocabulary lists containing catapult
Break It Down: Cata
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Latin Love, Vol II: cadere
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Ancient Rome - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Running’s growing popularity has helped catapult shares in Asics, a favorite among runners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Others, like “Obsession,” catapult from modest beginnings into an echelon of popularity that not even the academics and historians could’ve foreseen.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Musk plans to create a “self-growing city” on the moon and catapult satellites into orbit from the lunar surface.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026
Murphy, who delighted fans with a walkabout in Centenary Square on his arrival at Symphony Hall, paid tribute to the viewers who helped catapult Peaky Blinders into a worldwide hit.
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026
On the back porch was the catapult she had made out of a plastic cup, a broken piece of hockey stick and a rubber band.
From "Wolfie & Fly" by Cary Fagan
"The ballista spider's snare is bioengineered to store elastic energy in the silk and rapidly release it, giving it incredible instantaneous power density -- greater than any other specialized silk-based biological catapults," said Professor Narendra.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
At the end, they launch off a jump that catapults skiers 150 feet in the air.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
During his first administration, he complained that he didn’t like the look of the service’s destroyers, and called for a return to steam-powered catapults to launch jets from aircraft carriers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
Jonas Osher, consultant maxillofacial surgeon at King's College London, said he had treated injuries inflicted by catapults.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025
The broken pressure-ridges take queer shapes, overturned towers, legless giants, catapults.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Its success has catapulted 26-year-old Barker from a YouTube video creator into Hollywood's A-league with a first feature-length film that cost just $750,000 to $1 million to make.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
"This shirt is not only a lasting reminder of one of the most important moments in football history, but is principally connected to the very moment that catapulted Pele into a global sporting icon."
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
That personal tie has catapulted Schroyer, a relative unknown in national law-enforcement circles, to one of the biggest jobs in the country: heading ICE.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
Football—the other kind—fit for Independence Day: The U.S., fresh off a win that catapulted them into the World Cup’s round of 16, won’t play again until Monday.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
Mrs. Palmer pecked and pestered and catapulted icy smiles into Hayden’s deepening gloom.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
The paintings were a massive hit, catapulting Julian to a new echelon of fame, but isolating Christopher and ultimately driving him away, leaving the third and final series incomplete.
From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2026
Many had said the fad would soon fade, casting doubt on the logic of Pop Mart’s share price catapulting above that of heavyweights like Alibaba.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
Me, I’m hoping for a repeat of last year when a Brazilian actor won a prize, catapulting them to an Oscar nomination.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2026
The stock has risen 12% since, catapulting Amazon from the worst-performing “Magnificent Seven” name on a year-to-date basis to the fourth best.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2025
His performance that night gave the campaign exactly what it needed, catapulting him forward in the race.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
