catch-up
noun
an effort to reach or pass a norm, especially after a period of delay.
catch-up
American
[kach-uhp]
/ ˈkætʃˌʌp /
noun
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an effort to reach or pass a norm, especially after a period of delay.
After the slowdown there was a catch-up in production.
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an effort to catch up with or surpass a competitor, as in a sports contest.
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an instance of catching up.
adjective
idioms
catch up
British
verb
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(tr) to seize and take up (something) quickly
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to reach or pass (someone or something), after following
he soon caught him up
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(intr; usually foll by on or with) to make up for lost ground or deal with a backlog (in some specified task or activity)
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(tr; often passive) to absorb or involve
she was caught up in her reading
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(tr) to raise by or as if by fastening
the hem of her dress was caught up with ribbons
catch up
More Idioms
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Suddenly snatch or lift up, as in The wind caught up the kite and sent it high above the trees . [First half of 1300s]
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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]
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Become involved with, enthralled by, as in We all were caught up in the magical mood of that evening . [Mid-1600s]
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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]
Etymology
Origin of catch-up
1835–45, noun, adj. use of verb phrase catch up
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That post was one of many Stevens tells in the campaign’s final weeks demonstrating that she was the one trying to play catch-up.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
For account holders 55 or older who are not enrolled in Medicare, an additional catch-up contribution of $1,000 is allowed.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
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
State and local governments, as well as federal regulators, are playing catch-up as autonomous vehicles spread across the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Without a basic education in their own language, they were playing catch-up in schools where classes were taught in a new language, one many of the boys could barely understand.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned again Friday that the virus was spreading faster than response efforts can catch up.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
And it was really fun to catch up with him, especially considering how much he’s shouldered in portraying Dr. Michael Rabinovitch, a.k.a.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Food and Drug Administration first approved Ozempic in 2017, giving Novo a nearly five-year head start on Eli Lilly, the American pharmaceutical giant racing to catch up.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
"To be completely honest, I think we're slightly behind. We have to catch up," says Leandro Aguirre of the Philippines Department of Information and Communications Technology.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
“But I can see you are improving. And I think that with more practice, more concentration, you really can catch up with everyone else here.”
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
