CATCH-UP Definition & Meaning

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catch-up

[ kach-uhp ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

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.

adjective

intended to keep up with or surpass a norm or competitor:
a catch-up pay raise to offset inflation.

catch up

verb

tr to seize and take up (something) quickly
whenintr, often foll by with 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

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of catch-up¹

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

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Idioms and Phrases

play catch-up, Informal. 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.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

That’s a key part of the problem with “The Amateur,” in which it always feels like we’re ahead of the story, instead of playing catch-up and trying to figure out a mystery.

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In the UK, the show has been attracting about 1.5 million viewers per episode, including catch-up.

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Maybe his catch-up session with Frank left him too dazed to remember the need for a very basic Plan 101 conversation?

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And it’s as hilariously unplanned as you’d expect from two dudes who can make a catch-up session between friends feel like a fever dream.

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But the region is still playing catch-up after an exceptionally dry start to the water year, which began Oct.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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