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catch has 36 distinct synonyms spread across 22 of its 39 senses. Each sense below keeps its own list, because a synonym belongs to a meaning and not to a word: swapping one sense's substitute into another sense's sentence is how a thesaurus makes writing worse. WordNet records no antonym for it — antonymy is a relation between word forms rather than concepts, so it is deliberately sparse.
Counts are distinct word forms across every sense. A synonym that appears under three senses is counted once here and shown three times below, under each sense it belongs to.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
“She caught her son eating candy”
get or regain something necessary, usually quickly or briefly
“Catch some sleep”
catch up with and possibly overtake
“The Rolls Royce caught us near the exit ramp”
check oneself during an action
“She managed to catch herself before telling her boss what was on her mind”
grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of
“did you catch that allusion?”
contract
“did you catch a cold?”
take in and retain
“We have a big barrel to catch the rainwater”
spread or be communicated
“The fashion did not catch”
become aware of
“he caught her staring out the window”
delay or hold up; prevent from proceeding on schedule or as planned
“I was caught in traffic and missed the meeting”
the quantity that was caught
“the catch was only 10 fish”
1 of the 39 recorded senses carries no synonym, antonym or related term, so it is not shown above. Every sense, with its definition and examples, is on the full entry for catch.
Synonyms, antonyms and the broader and narrower relations for catch come from Princeton University’s WordNet. Full sources and licences.
anything that is caught (especially if it is worth catching)
“he shared his catch with the others”
a break or check in the voice (usually a sign of strong emotion)
a fastener that fastens or locks a door or window
a cooperative game in which a ball is passed back and forth
“he played catch with his son in the backyard”
the act of catching an object with the hands
“Mays made the catch with his back to the plate”
the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal)
“the policeman on the beat got credit for the collar”