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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Recent Examples of catch-as-catch-can 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 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 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

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

Adjective

Luka Dončić got traded at midnight on a random Saturday in February.

— David Aldridge, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Pinned to their random assortment of hats were scrawled, handmade signs proclaiming liberty or death.

— Sarah M.S. Pearsall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026

Definition of random

Adjective

Every state taxes alcoholic beverages, though the tax treatment of certain alcoholic beverages may appear arbitrary.

— Adam Hoffer, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
The war period saw its own moments of threats to rights, such as suspending habeas corpus, the legal mechanism to prevent arbitrary detention.

— Chris Kenning, USA Today, 2 July 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 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of catch-as-catch-can

adjective

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