less common spelling of ketchup
: a seasoned pureed condiment usually made from tomatoes
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Definition of catch-up
: intended to catch up to a theoretical norm or a competitor's accomplishments
First Known Use of catch-up
1945
Definition of catch-up
: the act or fact of catching up or trying to catch up (as with a norm or competitor)
- had to play catch-up
First Known Use of catch-up
1948
catch up
Definition of catch up
1 a
: to pick up often abruptly
- the thief caught the purse up and ran
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
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 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 1) for something belatedly
- catch up on lost sleep
b
: to acquire belated information
- catch up on the news
Examples of catch up in a Sentence
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 of catch up from the Web
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Cadillac was slow to enter the fast-growing compact SUV segment but is ready to play catch up with its new XT4, which aims to take on the competition with a combination of style, technology and value.
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Now, Sprouse has teased to PopSugar that the darkness could catch up with him.
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With growth potentially becoming a glut, some analysts believe builders may have finally caught up with demand.
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Voting records, job history, credit scores (remember the Equifax hack?) are constantly mixed, matched and traded by companies in ways regulators haven't caught up with.
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EuroWeekly News reported that police caught up with the animal in the town of La Garrovilla, near the city of Badajoz, after receiving reports of a hippo standing in a field close to the town.
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Some may opt for a guarantee of a steady supply of their produce by joining their CSA, while others can catch up with them at area markets.
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Latina Equal Pay Day, the day each year when the average income paid to Latina workers catches up to what an average white man earned, fell on November 2 last year.
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From that point, Michigan was forced to play catch up.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'catch up.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of catch up
Learn More about catchup
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Spanish Central: Translation of catchup
Seen and Heard
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