To Catch
To Capture, To Seize, To Grab
transitive verb, ichidan verb
Remember how you learned 捕まる is "to be caught." Well this is the transitive version, so it means to catch or to capture. You (or someone else) is doing the catching, which is better than being the one who gets caught, I suppose.
The reading is also not the same as 捕まる. Sorry! It does have a similar reading to 取る though, which also has to do with grabbing things (like grabbing onto an idea, for example). You can use 取る as a jumping off point for remembering the reading of this word. You might also find it useful to think back to 捉える, which has to do with mentally "catching" or "grasping" things. You'll sometimes see this written as 捕らえる as well.
田中さんは、このペットボトルを使って犯人を捕えるつもりだそうです。
Apparently, Mr. Tanaka intends to catch the culprits using these plastic bottles.
『ポケモン』は、モンスターボールなどで色んなポケモンを捕え、その捕えたポケモンを戦わせて育てて強くしていくゲームです。
”Pokemon" is a game in which players catch various Pokemon by using Pokeballs, etc., and make the captured Pokemon fight, grow, and become stronger.
アイドルの仕事はファンの心を捕えることかもしれませんが、私の仕事は、アイドルのデート現場をカメラで捕えることです。
An idol's job may be to capture the hearts and minds of fans, but my job is to catch idols on dates with my camera.
私の猫は鼠を捕えることが得意なんです。
Catching mice is my cat’s specialty.