Meaning of cat and mouse | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A relationship in which two parties closely monitor and challenge one another in a suspicious or self-protective manner, often because each party is attempting to gain an advantage over the other.
   uncountable
2. A form of attack in which the attacker toys with the victim by inflicting minor damage or letting the victim have futile hopes of escape before finally finishing the victim off.
   uncountable
3. A children's game in which one player (the "cat") attempts to break through a ring of players to catch another player (the "mouse") in the centre.
   uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“The Allied and the enemy submarine played a game of cat and mouse, checking up on each other's whereabouts and strategies.”

“The hackers played a cat and mouse game with the system administrators: the hackers kept trying new tricks, and the system administrators kept mounting electronic defenses.”

“The Lizard however has first to contend with Akechi, Japan's number-one detective, who has been hired by the jeweler to protect his possessions. Akechi and the Lizard match wits and play cat-and-mouse while flinging weighty epigrams on crime, romance and beauty at each other.”

“In practice, however, it is extremely difficult to form a new union and the unions are engaged in a constant game of cat and mouse with the Registrar.”

“She loved their daily rides, the easy banter, the flirtatious game of cat and mouse they played.”

“He was thinking how wonderful this game of cat and mouse was. He loved the game and the feeling of control he had over this poor innocent girl.”

“The payback for that would come in the form of a prolonged game of cat and mouse, finally culminating in a deadly game that he had perfected years earlier.”

“She told of narrow escapes and a harried game of cat and mouse, until eventually she'd reached the darkened jungle in which Torys had found her.”

CEFR level