1
as in to trap
to catch or hold as if in a net
a young idealist who got caught up in the political fanaticism of the times
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fascinate
to hold the attention of as if by a spell
completely caught up in opera ever since he saw La Traviata
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to interest
to hold the attention of
so caught up in the game that she didn't note the passage of time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to inform
to give information to
catch me up on what's been happening at the office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of catch up
Unfortunately, this is a line item my budget hasn’t quite caught up to.
—
Essence Wiley, InStyle, 12 June 2026
The seat belt sign just clicked off, your coffee is catching up with you and the lavatory at the front of the cabin already has two people waiting outside it.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026
My colleague Sheryl Estrada (author of Fortune's CFO Daily newsletter) catches up with Chevron CFO Eimear Bonner.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 12 June 2026
Kenan & Kel catch up with PEOPLE about the release of their first mobile game, Orange Pop!
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for catch up
Essence Wiley, InStyle, 12 June 2026
The seat belt sign just clicked off, your coffee is catching up with you and the lavatory at the front of the cabin already has two people waiting outside it.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026
My colleague Sheryl Estrada (author of Fortune's CFO Daily newsletter) catches up with Chevron CFO Eimear Bonner.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 12 June 2026
Kenan & Kel catch up with PEOPLE about the release of their first mobile game, Orange Pop!
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for catch up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch up
Verb
-
It is believed he may have been trapped in that same spot for nearly 24 hours until a passerby was finally able to hear his calls for help, West Metro Fire Rescue said.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
-
But Kpler, which tracks ship movements, said that its data shows no significant movement for the 220 tankers and the nearly 500 overall ships now trapped in the Persian Gulf.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The actress, director, and wild-style futurist Natasha Lyonne is fascinated by technology.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Kafka’s work still fascinates readers — like Polish filmmaking legend Holland.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
What interested him was the gap between the performance of power and whatever lives underneath it.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
-
That’s a cheap and easy analogy, but that’s what interested me to want to make this show.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
But another four or five weeks of games can inform Weiss and Anthopoulos’ own answer.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
16 June 2026
-
McGregor Scott, Williamson’s attorney, said he had not been informed of any other investigations involving his client.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The intellectual-disability argument is tangled in more than a decade of court rulings about executing people with such disabilities.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
-
The biggest trouble with tinsel is its propensity to tangle.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Throughout the set, lasers, strobes and flashes enchanted the audience, visuals dancing alongside the music.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
-
Allegheny National Forest, just around 90 minutes from Erie, Pennsylvania, enchants with rolling peaks that reflect off calm, paddle-friendly waterways.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Fahed Rahal said soccer occupies a unique place within Algerian culture, serving as a source of identity and connection across generations.—
J.M. Banks
June 15,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
Siebel Newsom, 51, has occupied a higher profile position compared to spouses of other state leaders.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
An Israeli source told CNN that Netanyahu has also privately blamed Kushner and Witkoff for creating a wedge between the two leaders.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
-
There must be something magical about Block Island after all, but only time will tell if that magic will extend to Jo-Ellen and Rulla, who still doubts that Jo-Ellen’s proof was well-meaning.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catch up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch%20up. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
