How to Use pounce in a Sentence

pounce

1 of 2 verb
  • Maton pounced to his left but couldn't come up with the ball.
    Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 25 June 2023
  • Oh, look, over there, that lynx is about to pounce and rip out my heart!
    Weike Wang, The New Yorker, 27 July 2023
  • There are a few fake starts, as the camera get closeups of the players ready to pounce.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 20 Sep. 2023
  • Clegg was using nightcrawlers on a spinning rig when the big tiger pounced.
    Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2023
  • Boum's shot hit off the side of the backboard and Villanova pounced on the rebound.
    Adam Baum, The Enquirer, 22 Feb. 2023
  • When the right issues come up, the faith’s lobbyists will be ready to pounce.
    Robert Gehrke, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Mar. 2022
  • If Biden, 79, decides not to run again, Newsom is ready to pounce.
    Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 13 July 2022
  • Cats love to wait patiently for just the right moment to pounce.
    Cathy M. Rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Dec. 2022
  • Portland’s first real chances came in the 23rd minute, as Smith pounced on a turnover but had both her shots blocked in the end.
    oregonlive, 27 Aug. 2023
  • The basketball purists are ready to pounce on me for even asking.
    Jason Williams, The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2023
  • Bridges quipped, eyes narrowed as if ready to pounce, in a true Dan Chase moment.
    Bob Verini, Variety, 15 June 2023
  • The artist’s devoted fans were quick to pounce on the cryptic post with jokes, questions and more.
    Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2022
  • And when the Kazakh faltered and conceded three set points at 6-5, Collins pounced to take the first set.
    Issy Ronald, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
  • The seemingly ocean-sized opening was enough for Homa to pounce.
    Bryce Millercolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2023
  • Styling is apropos of its fierce performance: the car seems to lean forward in the stance of a pit bull poised to pounce.
    Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 24 Dec. 2022
  • While Chou is talking, Park looks ready to pounce at any moment.
    Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2023
  • And when Mitch White became available, the Giants pounced to add the 29-year-old righty at the cost of Cobb’s efforts to race back.
    Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 21 Apr. 2024
  • What to know about Camilla, Charles’s wife Tabloids here were quick to pounce on the royal title change.
    Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2023
  • Benedict said the girls pounced and were beating them up when Benedict blacked out.
    USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024
  • Cheesecake Factory took the top spot on the now-famous list, and fans pounced.
    Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023
  • Social media users were quick to pounce on the new word and put a humorous spin on it.
    Monique Curet, Detroit Free Press, 6 Jan. 2022
  • Then, with the Colts deep in their own zone, Garrett beat two blocks to get to Minshew, forcing a strip sack in the end zone and the Browns pounced on it.
    Scott Thompson, Fox News, 22 Oct. 2023
  • As a result, this is the time to pounce on the best registration offers.
    cleveland, 27 Nov. 2022
  • Place the paper on a flat work surface and use a stencil to pounce paint onto the paper with a stiff brush.
    Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2022
  • Feeling a little overwhelmed on what deals to pounce on?
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 26 Nov. 2023
  • But the city had a vigorous tabloid press that would likely have pounced on such a fracas.
    Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 5 June 2023
  • Trump has also been dogged by the age and health questions on the trail as of late, but that didn't stop his allies from pouncing.
    Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2024
  • The app has a massive lead, but if TikTok doesn’t stick the landing, its competitors are ready to pounce.
    Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 6 Feb. 2024
  • This giant crab spider is ready to pounce at the insect any moment.
    Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2023
  • National Democrats, meanwhile, are quick to pounce when Trump goes off the rails at his rallies.
    The Courier-Journal, 17 Apr. 2024
Advertisement

pounce

2 of 2 noun
  • In the jungle, there's a time to graze and a time to pounce.
    Erica Jain, Forbes, 5 May 2023
  • And then, Brantley says, Tim would grab his probe and pounce.
    National Geographic, 10 Nov. 2020
  • Well, the media and the internet didn’t wait to pounce.
    Angel Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2023
  • The Bronco allows the V-6 to build very little boost with brake torquing, which mutes its off-the-line pounce.
    Connor Hoffman, Car and Driver, 23 July 2021
  • Race 1 7: Born Again George: Should get nice setup here right off early speed for the pounce.
    Michael Beychok, NOLA.com, 30 Jan. 2021
  • This would explain why the direction of the pounce matters most when the prey is hidden.
    Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 11 Jan. 2011
  • The boy, who has not been publicly identified, is dragged by the pack for several feet, writhing in pain as the strays pounce.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN, 1 Apr. 2023
  • Its approach to Portugal will be the same as in its victory against the Spanish: sit tight, stay back, and pounce on the break.
    Rory Smith, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2022
  • Army lieutenant Isaac Bangs watched a man pounce on the gilded figure of the king, scratching gold leaf from the statue’s surface.
    Wendy Bellion, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Jan. 2022
  • The schedule is on the softer side after that so pounce if this defense becomes available over the next few weeks.
    Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2023
  • In a race with early speed this horse that too has flashed both early and late speed, under the expert guidance of Rispoli, could sit off the pace and pounce late for the win.
    John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2021
  • The natural catnip inside will entice your cat to play and pounce.
    Kristi Arnold, Rolling Stone, 5 Dec. 2023
  • Vacation seasons are one of their favorite times to pounce.
    Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 20 July 2023
  • Excellent tackler who will come at the ball carrier hard and pounce.
    USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2021
  • MacNamara's daughter, Rylee, stepped outside to wait for the bus to take her to school when footage shows a raccoon on the porch pounce and grab onto her leg.
    Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2022
  • The moment that this type of pairing of AI and a human service provider arises, some pounce on the suggestion and proclaim that this is a dirty rotten trick.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2023
  • With this being the NFL, Grier is waiting to pounce and the threat of drafting a quarterback for development looms.
    Calvin Watkins, Dallas News, 17 Mar. 2023
  • Ideal for felines that love to swat and pounce, this toy features three levels of tracks and three moving balls, which roll around and help draw a pet's attention.
    Shayna Murphy, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2020
  • Excellent vision, courtesy of eight eyes, allows the spider to target prey and then pounce; a piece of silk fastened to the launch point serves as a safety line.
    Discover Magazine, 31 July 2011
  • Seconds later, the recording shows the mountain lion pounce from behind and wrest Piper backward.
    Susanne Ruststaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2022
  • That's because their play sessions are not run and fetch but stalk, hunt and pounce – hunting behaviors hardwired into their DNA.
    Cathy M. Rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Dec. 2022
  • That means the teams sitting at No. 2 and 4 in the draft better be ready to pay up to pounce on their passer of choice – or be comfortable with multiple options should either stand pat.
    Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2023
  • Henderson was in the perfect position to pounce as the Sparks were beginning a five-game homestand.
    Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2023
  • Pop-up dinners and supper clubs are flourishing in the city, where diners in the know pounce on tickets for meals that feature one-night-only menus and are limited to a handful of guests.
    Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 1 Dec. 2022
  • Hawks, the bigger of the two (its family, Accipitridae, also includes eagles and vultures), prefer to chase prey, then pounce, killing it with their talons.
    New York Times, 23 June 2022
  • Everyone knows the speed trap: a sudden speed-limit drop, often poorly marked, with police waiting to pounce and local courts ready to assess fines for the local treasury.
    Penny J. White and Glenn Harlan Reynolds, WSJ, 21 Feb. 2022
  • Three of the Colonials goals were courtesy of rebounds, firing pucks on net and capitalizing on solid positioning out front to pounce upon bouncing pucks off the far-pad.
    Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Mar. 2023
  • So study and prepare for all possibilities, then pounce when optimal.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 July 2022
  • Rather than running after their meals, however, leopards sneak towards prey and pounce, ambushing them from the treetops or other hideouts.
    Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 26 Sep. 2023
  • Observers see flagging user numbers or feel an amorphous, grim vibe shift and pounce, often prematurely.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pounce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: