warmup

American  

[wawrm-uhp] / ˈwɔrmˌʌp /

Or warm-up

noun

1. an act or instance of warming up.

   The spectators came early to watch the players go through their warmups.

   The dancers went through a quick warmup.

2. the period before a radio or television broadcast when the audience is entertained so that it will be more receptive to the actual program.

3. Also warm up the time lapse between turning on the power in an electronic component or device and the time it is operable.

4. Often warmups. any apparel, especially a sweat suit, worn over other clothing for warmth, chiefly in sports or during preliminary exercise.

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verb phrase

1. to prepare for a game, sports contest, dance, etc., by moderate exercise or practice beforehand.

2. to entertain (an audience) prior to a broadcast to increase receptiveness.

3. to increase in excitement, intensity, violence, etc..

   The racial situation was warming up.

4. to become friendlier or more receptive.

   No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't warm up to that proposal.

Etymology

Origin of warmup

First recorded in 1840–50; warm ( def. ) (in the verb sense “to make warm, heat”) + up ( def. ) (adverb used as a function word); the noun is derived from the verb phrase

Example Sentences

Efforts to wring laughs out of a genuinely awful situation yield only a few uncomfortable chuckles, such as when Charlie and Emma strike some warmup poses for a wedding photographer during an impromptu session.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

She called her parents after the six-minute warmup and said she couldn’t do it.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had hollered a similar message in a warmup speech to the senior officers.

From Slate • Oct. 6, 2025

But that test patch was just the warmup act.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2025

Therefore, indispensable to us now is preparation — a warmup — this in order to get the things we really need.

From Down with the Cities by Nakashima, Tadashi