pounced; pouncing
1
a
: to swoop upon and seize something with or as if with talons
b
: to seize upon and make capital of something (such as another's blunder or an opportunity)
2
: to make a sudden assault or approach
pounced; pouncing
: to dust, rub, finish, or stencil with pounce
1
: a fine powder formerly used to prevent ink from spreading
2
: a fine powder for making stenciled patterns
Examples of pounce in a Sentence
Verb (1)
the muggers pounced on the unsuspecting tourists as soon as they rounded the corner
Recent Examples on the Web
Jack Smart, People.com, 10 Mar. 2025
The Terps also pounced on Michigan’s season-long inability to protect the ball.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2025
Hans Nichols, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
This leads to the familiar scene of Mary coming home to her living room lined in plastic wrap, where a flailing Dexter pounces on her and eventually restrains her to his signature table.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pounce
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Jason Momoa pounced like a wolf on his new DC Extended Universe role.
—Jack Smart, People.com, 10 Mar. 2025
The Terps also pounced on Michigan’s season-long inability to protect the ball.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
More court activity is expected as Musk pounces from one agency to the next in search of DEI initiatives, bureaucratic bloat and other opportunities for spending cuts.
—Hans Nichols, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
This leads to the familiar scene of Mary coming home to her living room lined in plastic wrap, where a flailing Dexter pounces on her and eventually restrains her to his signature table.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pounce
Cite this Entry
“Pounce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pounce. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share