play catch-up

idiom

: to try to reach the same position, score, etc., as a competitor after one has fallen behind

The team fell behind in the second inning and has had to play catch-up ever since.

The company has been trying to play a difficult game of catch-up ever since its competitor introduced the new product.

Examples of play catch-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Leaders should always stay ahead, not play catch-up. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025

Gage Workman, a Rule 5 pick on the roster bubble, committed two costly errors at third base that forced the Cubs to play catch-up. —Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025

Software engineers typically develop software at a rapid pace, and then security teams are forced to play catch-up, sorting through bug reports for an overwhelming amount of code. —Pieter Danhieux, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025

Since the first Trump administration, the US has been trying to play catch-up and build up its own domestic rare earths supply chain. —Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for play catch-up

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