Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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.

Remember Sun Microsystems’ catch phrase, “We put the dot in dotcom”? Do you remember Sun Microsystems?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 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

Let us hear no more that deceptive catch phrase, "If you want peace prepare for war."

From Prize Orations of the Intercollegiate Peace Association by Weston, Stephen Francis

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "catch phrase" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com