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

caught up; catching up; catches up

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

April 2 is Equal Pay Day 2019, the day where women's wages finally catch up to what men's wages were in 2018. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "In Honor of Equal Pay Day, Here Are the Jobs With the Smallest Wage Gaps for Women," 2 Apr. 2019 Until one day when that lifestyle caught up with me, leaving me riddled with anxiety, shame, and total exhaustion. — Carly Benson, SELF, "7 Important Tips for Traveling While Sober and Having an Even Better Time," 14 Feb. 2019 And despite improvements to the camera, Apple is still stuck playing catch up to Google’s Pixel software. — Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge, "The Verge 2018 tech report card: Apple," 27 Dec. 2018 Ikea, which has relied on customers trekking to its box stores, is playing catch up on e-commerce and experimenting with smaller stores in urban centers. — Diana Budds, Curbed, "The rise of the direct-to-consumer home," 21 Dec. 2018 While the budget has improved the court is still playing catch up. — Greg Moran, sandiegouniontribune.com, "State high court strikes down rule requiring poor to pay for own court reporter in civil courts," 6 July 2018 For those who need to catch up, the Jonas-Stamos prank war dates back to October, when John wore a Jonas Brothers T-shirt to the 2018 American Music Awards. — Allie Gemmill, Teen Vogue, "Nick Jonas and John Stamos Stepped Up Their Prank War to Include Personalized Blankets," 12 Mar. 2019 Podcasts just want to catch up to the online content space and get that data. — Ashley Carman, The Verge, "NPR wants to know what podcast ads you skip," 27 Dec. 2018 Vacations are some of the best times to catch up on all of those books sitting unread on our bookshelves—chalk it up to those eight-hour flights, long train rides, and that inbox not pinging constantly with work emails. — Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best Books We Traveled With This Year: Women Who Travel Podcast," 24 Dec. 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.