catapult

1 of 2

noun

cat·​a·​pult ˈka-tə-ˌpəlt How to pronounce catapult (audio)
-ˌpu̇lt
1
: an ancient military device for hurling missiles
2
: a device for launching an airplane at flying speed (as from an aircraft carrier)

Illustration of catapult

Illustration of catapult
  • catapult 1

catapult

2 of 2

verb

catapulted; catapulting; catapults

transitive verb

: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult

intransitive verb

: to become catapulted
he catapulted to fame

Examples of catapult in a Sentence

Verb They catapulted rocks toward the castle. The publicity catapulted her CD to the top of the charts. The novel catapulted him from unknown to best-selling author. He catapulted to fame after his first book was published. Her career was catapulting ahead.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The action creates more of a catapult or whipping motion, taking pressure off the elbow. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2024 The day her class spent on campus commemorating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science by building catapults out of plastic spoons was supposed to encourage the students to break the trend. Sarah Blaskey, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2024 Yet, TikTok can serve as a catapult to stardom if an artist remains consistent and continues to produce great music, Grant believes. Payton Kirol, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2024 The entire chaotic episode, caught on video by a bystander and shared on Reddit, shows Hayne hollering at Russell for at least a minute before launching her food like a human catapult. Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 8 Dec. 2023 Advertisement Lance Twitty, Daiso’s chief merchandising and supply chain officer, said the company’s presence in Texas and DeSoto would serve as a catapult to expand nationwide. Irving Mejia-Hilario, Dallas News, 1 July 2023 The defender’s career, however, did not quite catapult. Michael Gehlken, Dallas News, 26 July 2023 Or building catapults to launch lunar dust into orbit around Earth and intercept the sun’s rays in the space near our planet. Popular Science, 9 Aug. 2023 In simpler times, the best gifts for your brother were a homemade card and a catapult built from sticks outside. Gaby Keiderling, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 July 2023
Verb
Like many of her costars, Martha Plimpton's role as Stef with the cool earrings catapulted her into the Hollywood spotlight and she's had a steady career since, though The Goonies remains one of her most popular films. Sarah Weldon, EW.com, 5 Mar. 2024 But a strong showing could catapult its Olympic return in 2032 and beyond. Sean Gregory, TIME, 5 Mar. 2024 For Apfel, these were the decades when her life catapulted to celebrity status. Sheila Callaham, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Her note, along with her photo on the app, catapulted him into sending an apology 11 minutes later. Rosalie R. Radomsky, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 All that chatter catapulted Pascal and his Prada ensemble into the top spot, with an MIV of $1.4 million. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 The slaying catapulted a shaken and grieving college campus into the national political spotlight, reviving a familiar campaign theme for Trump, who is widely expected to face off against Biden in the November election. Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 Once known mainly for gambling and debauchery, Las Vegas has catapulted itself to the world of professional sports in recent years. Jason Abbruzzese, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2024 The tiny country of Slovenia may have cracked the code of how to help startups catapult their ideas into successful implementation by providing a hybrid incubator and accelerator model known as Katapult. Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catapult.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French or Latin; Middle French catapulte, from Latin catapulta, from Greek katapaltēs, from kata- + pallein to hurl

First Known Use

Noun

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1848, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of catapult was in 1577

Dictionary Entries Near catapult

Cite this Entry

“Catapult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catapult. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

catapult

1 of 2 noun
cat·​a·​pult ˈkat-ə-ˌpəlt How to pronounce catapult (audio)
-ˌpu̇lt
1
: an ancient military device for hurling missiles
2
: a device for launching an airplane (as from the deck of an aircraft carrier)

catapult

2 of 2 verb
1
: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult
2
: to become catapulted
he catapulted to fame

More from Merriam-Webster on catapult

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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