Illustration of catapult
- catapult 1
cat·a·pult
ˈka-tə-ˌpəlt 
-ˌpu̇lt
1
: an ancient military device for hurling missiles
2
: a device for launching an airplane at flying speed (as from an aircraft carrier)
catapulted; catapulting; catapults
: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult
: 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
Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 27 Dec. 2024
The Fujian, which has a displacement of more than 80,000 tons in full load, features an advanced aircraft launching system with electromagnetic catapults, similar to the United States Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, enabling it to launch heavier combat aircraft.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Latoya Gayle, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Andrew Hohns, a PhD economist and the founder of investment firm Newmarket Capital, catapulted BitBonds to the center of bitcoin policy conversations in a March 11 presentation at the National Press Club.
—Sam Lyman, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catapult
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Noun
The Sichuan is capable of launching fighter jets and unmanned drones from an electromagnetic catapult.
—Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 27 Dec. 2024
The Fujian, which has a displacement of more than 80,000 tons in full load, features an advanced aircraft launching system with electromagnetic catapults, similar to the United States Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, enabling it to launch heavier combat aircraft.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
Danes was catapulted to stardom after playing Angela Chase in the show, which centered around a freshman girl’s experiences at school.
—Latoya Gayle, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Andrew Hohns, a PhD economist and the founder of investment firm Newmarket Capital, catapulted BitBonds to the center of bitcoin policy conversations in a March 11 presentation at the National Press Club.
—Sam Lyman, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catapult
Cite this Entry
“Catapult.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catapult. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
catapult
1 of 2 noun
cat·a·pult
ˈkat-ə-ˌpəlt
-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 verb1
: to throw or launch by or as if by a catapult
2
: to become catapulted
he catapulted to fame
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