Word.ws English Dictionary

catch step

catch step verb: to match the pace (of another person or a beat).

Verb

catch step (third-person singular simple present catches step, present participle catching step, simple past and past participle caught step)

  1. To match the pace (of another person or a beat).
    • They always start wrong, somehow, when they go out together, and then, while he tries to catch step with her, she endeavors to get in with him. After both have been shuffling about over the pavement for several minutes in a perfectly absurd manner, they go ahead out of step just as before.1882, Charles Heber Clark, Out of the Hurly-burly, Or Life in an Odd Corner, page 109
    • Confronted by the beloved music of the South, the old veterans broke into cheers as they left their trains, and unconsciously caught step in time with the music.1900, Minutes of the Ninth Annual Meeting and Reunion of the United Confederate Veterans, page 9
  2. (figuratively) To change so as to function harmoniously with; fit in.
    • And so the pageant moves on and you and I now catch step and for a short time will play our part in making the pattern of the Federation of this day.1935, Indiana Federation of Clubs, Year Book, page 2
    • It was a wonderfully happy day, and I want you to catch step with your comrades, and let bickerings and anger and hatred all fall away in our love for God's good sunshine and love for this great Republic.1935, Proceedings of the Stated Convention of the 37th National Encampment of the United Spanish War Veterans, page 153
  3. (figuratively) To adjust to advances in circumstances or criteria; catch up.
    • The quickest way to get acquainted with these new conditions is to have them slap us in the face. Wait till we all catch step again, and then watch this country.1921, Michigan Manufacturer & Financial Record - Volume 28, page 5
    • I had now to take myself over, a going concern, and try to catch step with a swift-moving and clamorous world.1946, Ray Stannard Baker, More Adventures with David Grayson, page 221

Noun

catch step (plural catch steps)

  1. A step in which one foot meets the other foot without passing it and the weight shifts to the foot that just moved.
    • While introduction is being played the little maid rubs her eyes and looks about, soon spying dandelions. She springs up and walks slowly toward dandelions, using this catch step: Right foot forward, then left brought forward, toe touching floor at right of right foot, then in front of right foot...1906, Hints, page 12
    • Frequently the patient, after taking a series of normal steps, suddenly takes a very long step with one leg and a catch step with the other, pauses a moment, and then proceeds to walk normally.1956, Ralph Hermon Major, Mahlon H. Delp, Physical Diagnosis, page 320
  2. A pause in order to assimilate new information.
    • The interpreter took a catch step before it translated what he'd said, and Kivrin felt a fleeting surprise that she couldn't understand him.2012, Connie Willis, Doomsday Book

Examples of catch step in a sentence

  • This great moment in the history of a tangled world is a moment to determine the direction of God and to catch step.1961, The Defender - Volume 36, page 8:
  • By organized effort, farmers were struggling to catch step with the economy – so Dr.1953, Agricultural Economics Research - Volumes 5-7, page 101:
  • Lacey was behind in his quest of learning, but Clifton insisted that he need only to apply himself diligently, and he would catch step with the best of his group.1978, Lillian B. Horace, L. Venchael Booth, Crowned with Glory and Honor:
  • The uneven long–short rhythm of the gallop is the same as that of the slide, the first phase of the movement being a slow step and the second a quick catch step.1977, Elsie Carter Burton, The New Physical Education for Elementary School Children, page 261:

Forms of catch step

Verb
third-person singular presentcatches step
present participlecatching step
past participlecaught step
pastcaught step
Noun
pluralcatch steps

Questions about catch step

What does catch step mean?
Catch step means to match the pace (of another person or a beat).
How do you use catch step in a sentence?
This great moment in the history of a tangled world is a moment to determine the direction of God and to catch step.
What part of speech is catch step?
Catch step can be a verb or a noun.
What is the past tense of catch step?
The past tense of catch step is caught step.

Words near catch step in the dictionary

  1. catch someone napping
  2. catch someone with their pants down
  3. catch someone's drift
  4. catch someone's eye
  5. catch someone's fancy
  6. catch step
  7. catch steps
  8. catch strays
  9. catch the bus
  10. catch the eye
  11. catch the last chopper out of 'Nam

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: catch step (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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