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.
“This is the wake-up call. There has to be a catch-up in terms of investments,” said ING’s Brzeski.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 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
There was also a big catch-up audience, with the BBC's highlights streamed 5.9m times on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app, and on the BBC Football YouTube channel.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
"We know the healthcare system needs to catch-up but ultimately it's a two-way street," he says.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
He usually went into the office to play catch-up on Saturday mornings.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
In China, AI hardware lags far behind U.S. technology, but officials are mounting a fevered effort to catch up with American AI chips.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
But they can go for one for two days and catch up on all music, which makes you feel like you’re staying young.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
It resets sentiment, lowers valuations and gives earnings time to catch up with prices.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
The U.S. now is racing to catch up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
She doesn’t respond, so I jog to catch up with her line of vision and repeat my statements.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
