as in grabbing
to stop, seize, or interrupt while in progress or on course
the cat was about to hightail it out the front door when I intercepted her
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Recent Examples of intercepting
The drone can be seen intercepting a low-flying Ka-52, maneuvering towards its port weapon pylon before the footage dramatically cuts.
—
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
Both sides have been intercepting vessels in tit-for-tat brinkmanship in the run-up to a possible second round of direct peace talks in Pakistan.
—CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Even before the war in Ukraine, NATO was intercepting Russian planes around 300 times each year, mostly over waters around northern Europe.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Brown, who struggled as a shooter early in the game, forced turnovers on consecutive Sixers possessions during that stretch, first drawing an offensive foul on Andre Drummond and then intercepting a Paul George pass.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
Hochstein and co-defendant Jody Glidden face charges of unlawfully intercepting oral statements.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
The United Arab Emirates said its air defense systems were intercepting missiles and drones and urged the public to remain in safe places.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026
Safety Jessiah McGrew, a Freshman All-American last year after intercepting four passes, transferred to Arizona State.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Middle Eastern countries reported intercepting drones and missiles as dawn broke Friday.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
Both sides have been intercepting vessels in tit-for-tat brinkmanship in the run-up to a possible second round of direct peace talks in Pakistan.
—CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Even before the war in Ukraine, NATO was intercepting Russian planes around 300 times each year, mostly over waters around northern Europe.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Brown, who struggled as a shooter early in the game, forced turnovers on consecutive Sixers possessions during that stretch, first drawing an offensive foul on Andre Drummond and then intercepting a Paul George pass.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
Hochstein and co-defendant Jody Glidden face charges of unlawfully intercepting oral statements.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
The United Arab Emirates said its air defense systems were intercepting missiles and drones and urged the public to remain in safe places.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026
Safety Jessiah McGrew, a Freshman All-American last year after intercepting four passes, transferred to Arizona State.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Middle Eastern countries reported intercepting drones and missiles as dawn broke Friday.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intercepting
Verb
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The Jaguars used their first pick of the NFL draft to land the blocking tight end Friday night, grabbing him in the second round with the 56th selection.—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Seahawks stayed put yet again at the end of the second round, grabbing TCU safety Bud Clark with the 64th pick.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The 6-foot-2, 207-pounder has the short-area quickness, yards-after-the catch ability and run-blocking toughness that coach Kyle Shanahan craves.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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To wrap up Day 2, the Dolphins took a pair of wide receivers and an in-line blocking tight end with their three picks in the third round.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Six years later, after months of military buildup in the Caribbean, the United States launched an unprecedented military operation in Venezuela, bombing Caracas and capturing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from the Presidential Palace.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
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From Edward Steichen to Annie Leibovitz, Vanity Fair has been capturing the greatest physical forms in sport, fitness, and dance for a century.—
Jonathan Pace,
Vanity Fair,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Chicago White Sox have been searching for offensive production from the catching position.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Sophomore Nate Roberts is a 6-5, 240-pounder who has blocking experience and showed off versatility catching passes in the spring.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intercepting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intercepting. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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