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Synonyms

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.


catch phrase British  

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of catch phrase

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

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:

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

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 19, 2026

But Tyler’s signature catch phrase, “If you feel it, chase it,” is eerily akin to Kate’s own relationship with storms.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 18, 2024

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

From Science Daily Feb. 26, 2024

“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

They cited Fremont, Presidential candidate of the newly organised Republican party the year before, with his catch phrase, "The abolition of slavery and polygamy, the twin relics of barbarism."

From The Lions of the Lord A Tale of the Old West by Harry Leon Wilson

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