verb

intercept

ihn-tuh-SEHPT

verb

To stop or catch something before it reaches its destination.

"The goalkeeper intercepted the pass before it reached the striker."

"Investigators intercepted the shipment at the border."

How to Use Intercept

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo stop something mid-way, before it gets where it was headed.

Common pairings

intercept a message intercept the ball intercept a shipment

Word Forms

intercepted past tense, intercept plural, intercepted plural, intercepts plural, intercepts singular, intercept singular, intercepted singular, interceptest singular, interceptedst singular, intercepteth singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The goalkeeper _____ the pass before it reached the striker.

Etymology

From Latin interceptum, past participle of intercipere, "to take between" (inter-, "between" + capere, "to take, seize").