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abfangen

to intercept (a pass / ball)

verb AP-fang-en Rare
Arts & Culture Sports

Also means

to catch / to stop someone

Usage Note

abfangen in sports means to intercept a pass or catch a ball meant for an opponent: den Pass abfangen (intercept the pass). More broadly it means to catch or stop someone or something. Separable: 'sie fängt den Pass ab'.

Examples

"Die Verteidigerin fing den Querpass ab und startete einen schnellen Konter."

Natural Translation

The defender intercepted the cross-field pass and launched a quick counter-attack.

Literal Translation

The defender caught-off the cross-pass and started a quick counter.

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