make up for lost time

Idioms  

1. Also, make up ground. Hurry to compensate for wasted time, as in They married late but hoped to make up for lost time, or We're behind in the schedule, and we'll just have to make up ground as best we can. The first term was first recorded in 1774; the variant dates from the late 1800s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

make up for lost time

“They missed the shift to the cloud and now they are trying to make up for lost time by claiming relevance in AI.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026

Once he enters the modern world to search for their missing parents, she tries to make up for lost time.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

Now he must make up for lost time.

From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026

Since it’s been more than three years since her last record, perhaps Ms. Lennox felt she needed to make up for lost time, but the weaker material on “Vacancy” makes it seem bloated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026

In place of a trip to the moon, I had only a scar on my throat and a great desire to make up for lost time.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins

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