catchup
1 of 4noun (1)
catch·up ˈke-chəp 
ˈka-
ˈka- less common spelling of ketchup
: a seasoned pureed condiment usually made from tomatoes
catch-up
2 of 4adjective
ˈkach-ˌəp
ˈkech-
: intended to catch up to a theoretical norm or a competitor's accomplishments
catch-up
3 of 4noun (2)
: the act or fact of catching up or trying to catch up (as with a norm or competitor)
had to play catch-up
also : an increase intended to achieve catch-up
catch up
4 of 4verb
caught up; catching up; catches up
transitive verb
1
a
: to pick up often abruptly
the thief caught the purse up and ran
b
: ensnare, entangle
education has been caught up in a stultifying mythology
N. M. Pusey
N. M. Pusey c
: enthrall
the … public was caught up in the car's magic D. A. Jedlicka
D. A. Jedlicka2
: to provide with the latest information
catch me up on the news
intransitive verb
1
a
: to travel fast enough to overtake an advance party
The soldier ran to catch up with his unit.
b
: to reach a state of parity (see parity sense 1) or of being able to cope
students who miss class have difficulty catching up
2
: to bring about arrest for illicit activities
the police caught up with the thieves
3
a
: to complete or compensate (see compensate sense 1) for something belatedly
catch up on lost sleep
b
: to acquire belated information
catch up on the news
Synonyms
Verb
- enmesh
- immesh
- ensnare
- ensnarl
- entangle
- entoil
- entrap
- mesh
- net
- snare
- tangle
- trap
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb a young idealist who got caught up in the political fanaticism of the times completely caught up in opera ever since he saw La Traviata
Recent Examples on the Web Irie Harris, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2022 School districts need to spend at least 20 percent of their money to help students catch up on academics, but the rest can go toward infrastructure projects, extra school nurses or masks for students to wear in classrooms. Perry Stein, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 Biden has said that the bill will create more high-tech jobs in the U.S. and help American companies catch up with direct competitors, mainly those based in China. Tristan Bove, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2022 Should Michigan win, after Mel Tucker’s 10-year $95 million contract extension, questions of if MSU will catch up to Michigan could abound. Detroit Free Press, 1 Sep. 2022 Late 2018: Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev catch up for lunch Sometime after Bella and Cena broke up in July 2018, Bella reconnected with Chigvintsev for lunch, as seen on the Jan. 20, 2019, episode of Total Bellas. Sydni Ellis, Peoplemag, 29 Aug. 2022 Mercurio feels that mindset has changed and has been transformed now by the catch up culture at the press of a button that has been propelled by the streaming revolution. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Aug. 2022 By September 2023, thanks in part to a gravitational assist from flying by the moon, NEA Scout will have marshaled enough speed to catch up to 2020 GE. Steven Ashley, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2022 Many districts have spent a share of their federal rescue dollars on tutoring, which is approved by the federal government as a tool to help students catch up. Ben Chapman, WSJ, 1 Sep. 2022 See More
Verb
This game Henderson time to catch up to Cooper, and just as Cooper jumped for the catch, Henderson, with his back turned to the ball, jumped towards him. Irie Harris, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2022 School districts need to spend at least 20 percent of their money to help students catch up on academics, but the rest can go toward infrastructure projects, extra school nurses or masks for students to wear in classrooms. Perry Stein, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 Biden has said that the bill will create more high-tech jobs in the U.S. and help American companies catch up with direct competitors, mainly those based in China. Tristan Bove, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2022 Should Michigan win, after Mel Tucker’s 10-year $95 million contract extension, questions of if MSU will catch up to Michigan could abound. Detroit Free Press, 1 Sep. 2022 Late 2018: Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev catch up for lunch Sometime after Bella and Cena broke up in July 2018, Bella reconnected with Chigvintsev for lunch, as seen on the Jan. 20, 2019, episode of Total Bellas. Sydni Ellis, Peoplemag, 29 Aug. 2022 Mercurio feels that mindset has changed and has been transformed now by the catch up culture at the press of a button that has been propelled by the streaming revolution. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Aug. 2022 By September 2023, thanks in part to a gravitational assist from flying by the moon, NEA Scout will have marshaled enough speed to catch up to 2020 GE. Steven Ashley, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2022 Many districts have spent a share of their federal rescue dollars on tutoring, which is approved by the federal government as a tool to help students catch up. Ben Chapman, WSJ, 1 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
see catch entry 1
First Known Use
Adjective
1879, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1885, in the meaning defined above
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a