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• catch-up
  catch-up

  noun

  an effort to reach or pass a norm, especially after a period of delay.
• catch up
  catch up

  verb

  (tr) to seize and take up (something) quickly

catch-up

American  

[kach-uhp] / ˈkætʃˌʌp /

noun

1. an effort to reach or pass a norm, especially after a period of delay.

   After the slowdown there was a catch-up in production.

2. an effort to catch up with or surpass a competitor, as in a sports contest.

3. an instance of catching up.

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adjective

1. intended to keep up with or surpass a norm or competitor.

   a catch-up pay raise to offset inflation.

idioms

1. play catch-up, to make a special effort to overcome a late start, a liability, or the advantage a competitor has.

   After Russia launched the first space satellite, other countries had to play catch-up.

catch up British  

verb

1. (tr) to seize and take up (something) quickly

2. to reach or pass (someone or something), after following

   he soon caught him up

3. (intr; usually foll by on or with) to make up for lost ground or deal with a backlog (in some specified task or activity)

4. (tr; often passive) to absorb or involve

   she was caught up in her reading

5. (tr) to raise by or as if by fastening

   the hem of her dress was caught up with ribbons

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catch up More Idioms  

1. Suddenly snatch or lift up, as in The wind caught up the kite and sent it high above the trees . [First half of 1300s]

2. 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]

3. Become involved with, enthralled by, as in We all were caught up in the magical mood of that evening . [Mid-1600s]

4. 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]

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Etymology

Origin of catch-up

1835–45, noun, adj. use of verb phrase catch up

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

catch-up catch up

Doctors often enter their professional lives playing catch-up on saving.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

Police are playing catch-up against the militant group, which has deployed drones extensively in attacks since 2024.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

The primary teachers run intensive catch-up classes for first-year secondary school pupils without basic literacy skills.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Total employee and employer contributions, excluding catch-up contributions, may reach $72,000.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 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

Researchers and industry experts believe the first company to master it could set off an exponential cycle of progress, pulling so far ahead that competitors can no longer catch up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

"We need immigration to soften enough that housing has a chance to catch up," he said, while stressing the housing shortage was not caused by migrants.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

Chapter 13 can also be particularly useful for homeowners because it may allow them to keep their home and catch up on missed mortgage payments while being protected from foreclosure.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

The one-two punch of higher energy prices and higher yields finally seemed to catch up to the stock market, with the S&P 500 slipping 1.8% on the week through Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 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

Related Words

• get back
• reclaim
• recoup
• regain
• repair
• rescue
• restore
• resume
• retrieve
• salvage