pounce
To jump on something suddenly to catch it.
pounce in a sentence
- The kitten wiggled, waited, then chose the perfect moment to pounce on the toy mouse.
- The goalkeeper watched the loose ball, ready to pounce on it before any striker arrived.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to pounce?
- Arelease
- Bleap
- Cflee
- Dretreat
Show the answer
B: leap. The other three mean the opposite of pounce.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to pounce?
- Aleap
- Bretreat
- Cspring
- Djump
Show the answer
B: retreat. The other three mean nearly the same as pounce.
Words that mean something similar
leap, spring, jump
Words that mean the opposite
retreat, release, flee
More words about movement & action
- procure: To get something, often with care or effort.
- prowl: To move around quietly and secretly, like a hunting animal.
- pursue: To chase after someone or something.
- quash: To stop or crush something completely.
- quest: A long search or journey to find or achieve something.
- rampage: To rush about wildly, causing damage; or a wild rush that causes damage.
- ransack: To search a place roughly and messily, often stealing things.
- recede: To move back or become further away.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test