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 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 of warm-up

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

Last season, while in charge at Burnley, Scott Parker also played music during warm-ups and ball-work phases of sessions — and, like the Italian, his staff paused the tunes for tactical sessions. — Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

An hour before curtain at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, acrobats tumble, juggle and test a towering Chinese pole, turning warm-ups for ‘Water for Elephants’ into a mini-circus. — Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Verb

Tucked underneath the hotel is a thermal pool where guests can relax and warm up while hoping to spot the Northern Lights from the bar. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026

The Black Ferns warmed up by routing Scotland 66-14 with 10 tries in Edinburgh. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

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