warm-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈwȯrm-ˌəp 

variants or less commonly warmup

1

: the act or an instance of warming up

also : a preparatory activity or procedure

2

: a suit for exercise or casual wear consisting of a jacket or sweatshirt and pants

—often used in plural

called also warm-up suit

warm up

2 of 2

verb

warmed up; warming up; warms up

intransitive verb

: to engage in exercise or practice especially before entering a game or contest

broadly : to get ready

Synonyms

Noun

• prelude
• preliminary

Examples of warm-up in a Sentence

Noun

the couple's initial exchange of insults proved to be only a warm-up for their booze-fueled fight later that night

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As the Luton Town players head in from their warm-up before their clash with Mansfield Town, something unusual happens. —Kaya Kaynak, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025

Meanwhile warm-up demonstrations in Portland feature protestors in inflatable animal costumes—lots of frogs, along with unicorns, chickens, dinosaurs dancing in the streets, providing an alternative visual to the menace of masked enforcement agents. —Nancy Gibbs, Time, 17 Oct. 2025

Verb

Along the route, travelers can sample maple syrup, hike scenic, wooded trails that end at waterfalls, explore museums, and warm up in charming cafés. —Megan Margulies, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2025

The comet, called 3I/ATLAS, is sending out a jet of material towards the sun as our nearest star warms up some of its surface. —Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1846, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for warm-up

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

Kids Definition

warm-up

noun

ˈwȯr-ˌməp

1

: the act or an instance of warming up

2

: a practice or set of exercises done before a game, contest, or workout

Medical Definition

warm-up

1 of 2 noun

ˈwȯr-ˌməp 

: the act or an instance of warming up

also : a procedure (as a set of exercises) used in warming up

warm up

2 of 2 intransitive verb

(ˈ)wȯr-ˈməp 

: to engage in preliminary exercise (as to stretch the muscles)

important to warm up properly before running