an effort to reach or pass a norm, especially after a period of delay.
After the slowdown there was a catch-up in production.
an effort to catch up with or surpass a competitor, as in a sports contest.
an instance of catching up.
(tr) to seize and take up (something) quickly
to reach or pass (someone or something), after following
he soon caught him up
(intr; usually foll by on or with) to make up for lost ground or deal with a backlog (in some specified task or activity)
(tr; often passive) to absorb or involve
she was caught up in her reading
(tr) to raise by or as if by fastening
the hem of her dress was caught up with ribbons
Suddenly snatch or lift up, as in The wind caught up the kite and sent it high above the trees . [First half of 1300s]
Also, catch up with . Come from behind, overtake. This usage can be either literal, as in You run so fast it's hard to catch up with you , or figurative, as in The auditors finally caught up with the embezzler . [Mid-1800s]
Become involved with, enthralled by, as in We all were caught up in the magical mood of that evening . [Mid-1600s]
Also, . Bring or get up to date, as in Let's get together soon and catch up on all the news , or Tonight I have to catch up with my correspondence . [First half of 1900s]
1835–45, noun, adj. use of verb phrase catch up
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Pentagon chief argued that if approved, the funding would be a "generational investment" that would make sure the US avoided "playing catch-up" and would keep the American military ahead of others.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Sir Keir Starmer's government had recently proposed new legislation to prevent streaming and catch-up rights being put behind a paywall for UK viewers.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
—Asian stocks trade mixed Monday, with the South Korean market playing catch-up to Friday’s AI-driven rout.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
By the end, the Sparks spent the game playing catch-up, never regaining the lead after surrendering it in the first 49 seconds to Johnson.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Most girls are flipping and tumbling in Mommy and Me classes before they’re three, so in a way, I’d been playing catch-up.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
Those who fall behind often struggle to catch up, because competitors aren’t standing still.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
It resets sentiment, lowers valuations and gives earnings time to catch up with prices.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
"We've probably underinvested in the last decade and now we're trying to catch up so there's quite a lot of spending," says Frankie Mayo, an energy analyst from Ember Energy.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
They described students arriving on campus without the skills to keep up with their peers, and being too far behind to catch up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
I toss my blanket aside and catch up with Lily right as the door swings open.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
