Laser photolysis/laser-induced fluorescence is employed to determine absolute rate coefficients for the reaction of the methylidyne radical, CH, with CH 3F, CH 2F 2, CHF 3, and CF 4 over the temperature range 295–672 K. Multiphoton dissociation of CHBr 3 at 266 nm forms CH radicals. Relative CH concentrations are monitored by LIF at 430 nm. The following Arrhenius parameters are obtained: k = (2.8±0.2)×10 −10 exp[(280±50 cal/mol)/ RT] cm 3 s −1 for CH+CCl 4, k = (2.0±0.2)×10 −11 exp[(460±70 cal/mol)/ RT] cm 3 s −1 for CH+CH 3F, k = (4.8±0.4)×10 −12 exp[−(330±50 cal/mol)/ RT] cm 3 s −1 for CH+CH 2, F 2, k = (1.4±0.2)×10 −13 exp[(40±110 cal/mol)/ RT] cm 3 s −1 for CH+CHF 3, and k < 7×10 −14 cm 3 s −1 for CH + CF 4. The experimental evidence supports a mechanism of CH radical insertion into CH or CCl bonds followed by fragmentation of the excited adducts as the dominant process in these reactions. The large variance in measured rate constants results mainly from steric hindrance by the unreactive CF moieties.