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 of warm-up

Noun

• prelude
• preliminary

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

England only played one warm-up match before the series, against an England Lions team, while McCullum’s attack-minded philosophy has also been questioned amid a number of hapless dismissals during the series. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

During early warm-ups for the Broncos-Chargers game, Dobbins spent over 30 minutes catching up with former Los Angeles teammates and coaches, darting over to the stands to sign a few autographs. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026

Verb

South Florida will add about 15 to 20 degrees to those temperatures as the sun warms up the area, with a high of 82 in Homestead. —Scott Withers, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026

While major surfaces like cabinetry and walls are starting to warm up, decorative accents from fabrics to tableware are an easy way to embrace the trend. —Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2026

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