Collocation
catch a thief
to capture or stop a person who is stealing, often by the police or by someone who discovers the theft
Definition
'catch a thief' is a common English collocation. to capture or stop a person who is stealing, often by the police or by someone who discovers the theft
catch + a thief
“If you see someone stealing, call the staff so they can catch a thief safely.”
Examples
- The security guard caught a thief trying to slip a phone into his pocket.
- The police caught a thief after checking the CCTV footage.
- It is not always easy to catch a thief in a crowded market.
Show more examples
- The shop installed new cameras to help catch a thief quickly.
- They set up a sting operation to catch a thief who kept stealing from parked cars.
- The officer almost caught a thief, but he disappeared into an alley.
- The detective promised the victims that she would catch a thief no matter how long it took.
- With two exits blocked, the guards managed to catch a thief within minutes.
More verb + noun phrases
- make an effort to try hard to do something, especially when it requires extra energy or commitment
- make a choice to decide between options
- make a phone call to call someone using a telephone
- make an appointment to arrange a specific time to meet someone, especially a professional such as a doctor or dentist
- make a complaint to formally say that you are unhappy with a service, product, or situation and want it dealt with