CATCH-AS-CATCH-CAN Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

catch-as-catch-can

adjective

ˈkach-əz-ˈkach-ˈkan

as in random

lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern we're always having drop-in guests at our beachfront cottage, and sleeping arrangements tend to be catch-as-catch-can

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of catch-as-catch-can Here’s the writer Nick Paumgarten trying to drum up a Talk of the Town piece by wandering through the East Village and questioning random New Yorkers about what’s on their minds, a catch-as-catch-can method that, in its way, reflects the magazine’s democratic openness. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025 The old days of barnstorming teams playing catch-as-catch-can schedules was no longer an acceptable business model. — Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 June 2024 Cone collection, done by local residents who are paid by the bushel, is a catch-as-catch-can kind of business. — Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch-as-catch-can

Adjective

On the way across the bay, Melanie is attacked by a random seagull, setting up the sinister plot device.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
Davis confessed to taking mushrooms, grabbing a gun, and shooting at random people in South Beach.

— Anna McAllister, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of random

Adjective

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found al-Faraj’s detention arbitrary, according to a report published in December 2024.

— Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2026
Someone set the arbitrary number at ten, and the whole point of the exercise is to whittle the list down to ten.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of arbitrary

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catchalls

catch-as-catch-can

catches

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“Catch-as-catch-can.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch-as-catch-can. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of catch-as-catch-can

adjective

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