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

When did we last hear that catch phrase?

From Salon • May 14, 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

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