catch-up
Americannoun
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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
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
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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.
The Old Firm are playing catch-up while being hounded from below.
From BBC
It was time for staples to enjoy a catch-up trade, so in the past few weeks many market strategists have noted that the group looks overbought.
From Barron's
It is being added to the list of standard childhood vaccinations from the start of January, and there will be a catch-up programme for older children.
From BBC
Samsung’s “cash available for catch-up payment” could reach 103.8 trillion won by end-2026, with its net cash position expected to triple this year.
OpenAI released ChatGPT several weeks later, leading Anthropic to play catch-up.
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.
