Bag him vs Capture

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Bag him

Informal Top 5,000 (fairly common)

Capture

Top 1,000 (very common) B2 verb

Most formal: Capture Most common: Capture

	Bag him	Capture
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 //bæɡ hɪm// 🇺🇸 //bæɡ hɪm//	🇬🇧 /["/ˈkæptʃə(r)/","/ˈkæptʃəz/","/ˈkæptʃəd/","/ˈkæptʃərɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈkæptʃər/","/ˈkæptʃərz/","/ˈkæptʃərd/","/ˈkæptʃərɪŋ/"]/
Meaning	Catch someone, usually for a crime.	To take something or someone and hold them.
Example	The police managed to bag him before he got away.	The photographer aimed to capture the beauty of the sunset.
Register	Informal	Neutral
How common	Top 5,000 (fairly common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	-	B2
Part of speech		verb
Collocations	bag a suspect, bag a criminal, bag the prize, quickly bag him, successfully bag him	accurately, perfectly, beautifully, try to, be able to, manage to
Antonyms	-	release, free, let go
Common mistakes	Confused with 'bag it', which means to quit or leave., Used incorrectly in formal situations., Mistaking it for literal bagging of items.	'Capture' used without an object (e.g., saying 'I will capture.'), 'Capture' confused with 'caught' in past tense., 'Capture' improperly used in place of 'seize' which has a different nuance.
Usage notes	Common in casual conversation; may not be suitable for formal contexts. It can also imply making a successful capture, not always negative.	Use 'capture' when you want to express taking control of something, either physically or metaphorically. It's appropriate in both formal and informal contexts, but avoid using it in situations that imply violence.

See it in real clips

The Pitt › S1 E1

and bag him if he stops breathing,

Bag him

House Of Dragons › S1 E1

saw a rich land ripe for the capture.

Band Of Brothers › S1 E1

He's then going to close with and kill or capture that German.

House Of Dragons › S1 E1

saw a rich land ripe for the capture.

Band Of Brothers › S1 E1

He's then going to close with and kill or capture that German.

Capture

Frequently asked questions: Bag him vs Capture

What's the difference between Bag him and Capture?

Bag him: Catch someone, usually for a crime. Capture: To take something or someone and hold them.

Which is more formal: Bag him and Capture?

Capture is the most formal of these.

Which is more common: Bag him and Capture?

Capture is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Bag him: The police managed to bag him before he got away. Capture: The photographer aimed to capture the beauty of the sunset.

Can I use Bag him and Capture interchangeably?

Not always. Bag him and Capture are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.