catch at (something)
1. To find or see someone in the act of doing something (often something nefarious). In this usage, the guilty party is stated between "catch" and "at." The detective was able to catch the robbers at their next scheme. We managed to catch the perpetrator at his attempt to steal money from the cash register. Good luck stealing packages now—so many people have doorbell cameras these days that they'll definitely catch you at it.
2. To grasp at or clutch something. She must be nervous—she keeps catching at her purse. I was catching at the dog's leash! I don’t know how he got away from me. Oh, Jimmy's always catching at that action figure—it's his favorite one.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
catch someone at something
and catch someone doing somethingto discover someone doing something, especially something bad or shameful. We caught her at her evil deeds. Don't let me catch you doing that again!
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
catch at
Snatch, grasp, as in
The beggars kept catching at their coats. [c. 1600] Also see
grasp at straws.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.