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

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 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

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

But to the district attorney they did not seem to be a mere poetic aspiration, nor a catch phrase with which to adorn his speech; they voiced a real idea, still pulsating with passionate truth.

From Together by Herrick, Robert