10 Idioms with CATCH

10 Useful Idioms with “Catch” (Meanings & Real Examples)

The verb catch is everywhere in English. You catch a bus. You catch a cold. You catch someone’s attention. And — of course — you also catch dozens of idioms.

Many of these expressions are extremely common in everyday English, films, books, and even in Cambridge exams (B2 First, C1 Advanced). In this lesson, you’ll learn 10 useful idioms and expressions with “catch”, with clear meanings and natural examples.

Let’s catch them all. (Sorry. Had to.) 😉

Catch your breath

Meaning: to stop and rest in order to breathe normally again after effort or shock.

• After crossing the finish line, he stopped to catch his breath.
• She had to pause on the stairs to catch her breath before going on.

A catch-22

Meaning: a situation in which you cannot do one thing without doing another first — and you cannot do the other either.

• They won’t hire you without experience, but you can’t get experience without a job. It’s a catch-22.
• He needs money to start the business, but he can’t get money without starting it. Classic catch-22.

It takes a thief to catch a thief

Meaning: someone who knows a bad or dishonest world understands it best.

• The police hired a former hacker. After all, it takes a thief to catch a thief.
• He immediately guessed how the scam worked — it takes a thief to catch a thief.

You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar

Meaning: being kind and polite is more effective than being rude or aggressive.

• Try asking nicely — you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
• She always gets what she wants by being charming. She knows you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

The early bird catches the worm

Meaning: people who act early or prepare early have an advantage.

• Tickets are limited, so hurry — the early bird catches the worm.
• I like to start work early. The early bird catches the worm.

Catch someone red-handed

Meaning: to discover someone while they are doing something wrong or illegal.

• The manager caught him red-handed stealing money from the till.
• She caught her son red-handed cheating in the test.

Be caught between a rock and a hard place

Meaning: to be forced to choose between two equally bad options.

• If I stay, I’m unhappy. If I leave, I’m broke. I’m caught between a rock and a hard place.
• The company is caught between raising prices and losing customers.

Be/get caught in the middle

Meaning: to be involved in a conflict between two sides.

• When his parents divorced, he was caught in the middle.
• I don’t want to take sides. I’m caught in the middle here.

Catch you later

Meaning: an informal way of saying goodbye.

• I’ve got to run now. Catch you later!
• Let’s talk after work — catch you later!

Catch someone’s eye

Meaning: to attract someone’s attention because something looks interesting or attractive.

• That red dress in the shop window really caught my eye.
• His CV caught the manager’s eye immediately.

These expressions are extremely common in real English, perfect for B2–C1 speaking and writing and a great way to make your English sound more natural and confident.

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