catch sight of
Spot by chance
To catch sight of something is to see it, especially briefly or unexpectedly: I caught sight of her in the crowd.
The phrase emphasizes the moment of visual contact rather than sustained observation—you catch sight of something that appears suddenly or that you've been looking for.
Become aware of
- spotMark or location
- detectNotice or discover
- discernPerceive with careful attention
- recognizePerceive as known
identify · observe · see · witness · behold · espy · descry · make out
Fleeting view
flicker · fleeting · momentary · brief · quick · transient · snapshot · peripheral
Find something unknown
- findLocate through effort
- encounterUnexpected meeting or confrontation
- stumble uponFind unexpectedly
- come acrossFind accidentally
happen upon · chance upon · uncover · locate · reveal · surprise · unexpected · serendipity
notice
Become aware of
recognize · identify · observe · see · witness · behold · espy · descry · make out · pick out
glimpse
Fleeting view
flash · flicker · fleeting · momentary · brief · quick · transient · snapshot · peripheral · sighting
discover
Find something unknown
- findLocate through effort
- encounterUnexpected meeting or confrontation
- stumble uponFind unexpectedly
come across · happen upon · chance upon · uncover · locate · reveal · surprise · unexpected · serendipity · turn up
catch, sight, catching, caught, catches, catcher, catchphrase, catchword, catchall