Meaning & use
here's the catch
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseinformal
Used to introduce a hidden problem or disadvantage in something that seems good.
Grammar: Stands alone as a sentence or follows a statement; it introduces the next clause.
Patterns
- here's the catch: ...
- ... , but here's the catch.
The apartment is cheap and close to the station. Here's the catch: the landlord wants six months' rent up front.
You can get a free phone with this plan, but here's the catch — you have to sign a three-year contract.
The job sounds perfect. Here's the catch, though: it's in another country.
Common combinations
- here's the catch
- It looks easy, but here's the catch: you only get one try.
- the catch is (that)
- The catch is that you must pay for the repairs yourself.
- what's the catch?
- Free tickets? What's the catch?
Synonyms and how they differ
- the catch is
- A more neutral way to introduce the hidden problem; it can appear in the middle of a sentence, not just at the start.
- the downside is
- Focuses on a disadvantage rather than a trick or condition; it sounds less like a warning.
Commonly confused: here's the catch or catch?
here's the catch vs catch
As a noun, catch means a hidden problem or a condition. Here's the catch is the full phrase used to announce it.
Practice
The deal looks amazing, but ______ — you have to pay in cash today.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is here's the catch, with the definite article the. The other options are ungrammatical because they omit the or the apostrophe-s.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “here's the catch”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.