Catch someone / speak to someone / Get hold of someone / Catch hold of someone
Different meaningsIn workplace communication, catch someone or get hold of someone can mean contact them. Catch hold of more naturally suggests physically grasping something and may be misleading when contact is meant.
Catch someone / speak to someone
Use when
You informally mean manage to find or speak to someone.
Example
“I'll try to catch the Director after the meeting.”
Get hold of someone
Use when
You mean succeed in contacting or finding someone.
Example
“I could not get hold of the vendor yesterday.”
Catch hold of someone
Use when
You literally mean seize or grasp someone, or use the idiom deliberately; avoid it when you simply mean contact or speak to the person.
Example
“The officer caught hold of the railing before he fell.”
Quick check
catch hold of the Director when contact is meant, catch hold of him to ask a question
Usage note