warm-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈwȯrm-ˌəp 

variants or less commonly warmup

1

: the act or an instance of warming up

also : a preparatory activity or procedure

2

: a suit for exercise or casual wear consisting of a jacket or sweatshirt and pants

—often used in plural

called also warm-up suit

warm up

2 of 2

verb

warmed up; warming up; warms up

intransitive verb

: to engage in exercise or practice especially before entering a game or contest

broadly : to get ready

Synonyms

Noun

• curtain-raiser
• overture
• preamble
• preliminary
• prelude
• prologue
• prolog

Examples of warm-up in a Sentence

Noun

the couple's initial exchange of insults proved to be only a warm-up for their booze-fueled fight later that night

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Consider this weekend our first warm-up for the W, the initial stretch to get our eyes and minds back into game-watching shape. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 3 May 2025

Monday: Run/Walk Intervals 5-minute warm-up Walk 90 seconds, run 3.5 minutes (repeat 4 times) 5-to-10-minute cooldown Total time: 30–35 minutes (back to top) Tuesday: Active Recovery (Optional) or Rest Today’s a rest day with an option for an active recovery routine. —Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 25 Apr. 2025

Verb

But by late last month, both chambers had warmed up to the idea of a bell-to-bell policy, the Daily News previously reported. —Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2025

After the tour, warm up with a hot shower and recharge at the on-site café at The Base. —Alexandra Gillespie, Outside Online, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1846, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for warm-up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

warm-up

noun

ˈwȯr-ˌməp

1

: the act or an instance of warming up

2

: a practice or set of exercises done before a game, contest, or workout

Medical Definition

warm-up

1 of 2 noun

ˈwȯr-ˌməp 

: the act or an instance of warming up

also : a procedure (as a set of exercises) used in warming up

warm up

2 of 2 intransitive verb

(ˈ)wȯr-ˈməp 

: to engage in preliminary exercise (as to stretch the muscles)

important to warm up properly before running