overtake+unawares

  • 1encroach — v. n. 1. Trespass, intrude, infringe, trench, make inroad, make invasion. 2. Creep, advance stealthily, overtake unawares …

    New dictionary of synonyms

  • 2catch — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) v. t. take, seize; overtake; land, net, hook; surprise, detect; snare, trap; capture, arrest, apprehend, nab (inf.); snatch. See restraint, deception, difficulty, hindrance. II (Roget s IV) n. 1.… …

    English dictionary for students

  • 3surprise — [15] To surprise someone is etymologically to ‘overtake’ them. The word comes from the past participle of Old French surprendre ‘overtake’, a compound verb formed from the prefix sur ‘over’ and prendre ‘take’. By the time it reached English it… …

    The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • 4surprise — [15] To surprise someone is etymologically to ‘overtake’ them. The word comes from the past participle of Old French surprendre ‘overtake’, a compound verb formed from the prefix sur ‘over’ and prendre ‘take’. By the time it reached English it… …

    Word origins

  • 5catch — [kach, kech] vt. caught, catching [ME cacchen < Anglo Fr cachier < VL * captiare < L captare, to seize < pp. of capere, to take hold: see HAVE] 1. to seize and hold, as after a chase; capture 2. to seize or take by or as by a trap,… …

    English World dictionary

  • 6Operation Pleshet — Part of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War …

    Wikipedia

  • 7surprise — (n.) late 14c., unexpected attack or capture, from M.Fr. surprise a taking unawares, from noun use of pp. of O.Fr. surprendre to overtake, from sur over (see SUR (Cf. sur )) + prendre to take, from L. prendere, contracted from prehendere to grasp …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 8catch — I. v. a. 1. Grasp, seize, snatch, clutch, gripe, grasp, lay hold of, fasten upon. 2. Arrest, apprehend, capture. 3. Overtake, come up with. 4. Ensnare, entrap, entangle. 5. Captivate, charm, enchant, fascinate, bewitch, win. 6. Take (as a… …

    New dictionary of synonyms

  • 9catch — [n1] fastener bolt, buckle, clamp, clasp, clip, hasp, hook, hook and eye, latch, snap; concept 497 catch [n2] trick, hidden disadvantage Catch 22, conundrum, deception, decoy, drawback, fly in the ointment*, hitch, joke, puzzle, puzzler, snag,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 10catch — v. & n. v. (past and past part. caught) 1 tr. a lay hold of so as to restrain or prevent from escaping; capture in a trap, in one s hands, etc. b (also catch hold of) get into one s hands so as to retain, operate, etc. (caught hold of the handle) …

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