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

The ball instead dropped for a double that put the Pirates ahead 2-1, forcing the Cubs to again play catch-up. —Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2025

Can San Francisco play catch-up behind Posey, the catcher on their three World Series winners? —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025

This is a great way for business owner to play catch-up on their retirement saving while also lowering their current tax bills. —David Rae, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

In turn, this can hurt your ability to stay on track, forcing you to play catch-up later and potentially creating a vicious cycle that will keep you tired long-term. —Caroline Tien, SELF, 6 Aug. 2025

Rhymes for play catch-up

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