catchup

noun (1)

catch·up | \ ˈke-chəp

, ˈka-\

less common spelling of ketchup

: a seasoned pureed condiment usually made from tomatoes

catch-up

adjective

\ ˈkach-ˌəp

, ˈkech-\

Definition of catch-up (Entry 2 of 4)

: intended to catch up to a theoretical norm or a competitor's accomplishments

catch-up

noun (2)

Definition of catch-up (Entry 3 of 4)

: 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

verb

Definition of catch up (Entry 4 of 4)

transitive verb

1a : 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

c : enthrall the … public was caught up in the car's magic— D. A. Jedlicka

2 : to provide with the latest information catch me up on the news

intransitive verb

1a : 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

3a : 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 & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about catchup

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Synonyms & Antonyms for catchup

Synonyms: Verb

enmesh (also immesh), ensnare, ensnarl, entangle, entoil, entrap, mesh, net, snare, tangle, trap

Antonyms: Verb

disentangle, untangle

Examples of catchup in a Sentence

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: Verb

Guests such as Heron Preston, Elizabeth Sulcer, Ada Kokosar, and Selby Drummond caught up over cocktails before breaking bread. — Michaela Bechler, Vogue, "The Attico Hosts a Feather-Filled Dinner in New York," 8 Feb. 2019 In other categories, such as bonds and foreign stocks, index funds have more catching up to do. — Stan Choe, The Seattle Times, "40 years after his “folly,” Bogle’s index funds reign," 23 Jan. 2019 Perhaps someday the most advanced robots will catch up with ants. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "NASA's Robotic Worm Could Someday Climb Alien Ice Spikes," 13 Dec. 2018 Politics finally caught up to another tech CEO who had hoped to avoid it. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "Google’s appearance before Congress will mark a turning point for its CEO," 5 Dec. 2018 Later on in the episode, Tess caught up to Kate and asked her not to tell anyone. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'This Is Us' Fans Missed a Sneak Peek Clip That Hints at What’s to Come for Tess," 21 Nov. 2018 Uber is using this trial to showcase its recent commitment to sustainable mobility and car-free transit, and catch up with the micromobility revolution pioneered by companies such as Bird. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Uber launches electric scooter service," 3 Oct. 2018 Like Logano, who wound up fourth in the spring, Truex never quite caught up, finishing 5.8 seconds off the lead. — Fox News, "Kyle Busch wins NASCAR Richmond race from the back of the pack," 24 Sep. 2018 But police caught up with them and arrested them about a mile from the track, the station reported. — Scott Berson, charlotteobserver, "Train-hoppers call 911 clinging to locomotive: ‘It’s going really, really fast!’," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'catchup.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.