intercept

To catch or stop something or someone before they reach their destination.

• She intercepted the ball.
• Police intercepted the truck near the border.
• Someone was intercepting our messages before they reached the office.

Similar words: stop, catch, cut off

Common phrases: intercept a pass, intercept a message, intercept a missile

The value showing where a line or curve crosses an axis on a graph.

• Find the intercept on the graph.
• The vertical intercept is three.
• These two lines have different intercepts.

Common phrases: vertical intercept, horizontal intercept, calculate the intercept