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

Given the slow progress regarding incomings, these warm-up fixtures can give academy graduates Freddie Potts, 21, and George Earthy, 20, chances to stake their claim for first-team berths. —Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 July 2025

Stroman, momentarily bothered by his quad, took a warm-up pitch before remaining in the game. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 11 July 2025

Verb

When the Celtics walked onto the court to warm up for the second half, most of González’s teammates scattered across the 3-point arc, casually shooting outside shots. —Jay King, New York Times, 12 July 2025

Here, a stone fireplace anchors the family room, and light woods warm up the kitchen. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 12 July 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