catch up

Definition of catch upnext
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

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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
4

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 The officer reached speeds of at least 110 mph in order to catch up. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026 By noon, her body reacted before her mind could catch up. Danielle Bacher, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026 Confronting one of the darkest chapters in Argentina’s history, the 1985 play by Eduardo Pavlovsky, a psychotherapist, writer and actor, is about a man caught up in the systematic kidnapping of children during a military dictatorship. Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026 Lawmakers are racing to catch up. Lori Andrews, Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for catch up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch up
Verb
  • Consequently, those trapped either faced burning alive by the fire or death by bullets fired from the outside.
    Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Some complained about getting trapped in the same cash-bail system that had ensnared Caldwell.
    Charles Duhigg, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • But commenters were also fascinated by a series of colorful graphs plotting dose-response curves for individual types of exercise, purporting to show that walking is the best, jogging is good but not too much, swimming is no good at all, and so on.
    Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.
    Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • What interested me from the very start was a certain fundamental clash of cultures that the crime seemed to have exposed.
    Scott Eden, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
  • Pick a topic that interests you, and look for book recommendations made by experts in that field to work out which reads are worth your valuable time.
    Barnaby Lashbrooke, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The purpose was to inform the players that the team would not be forfeiting an upcoming home match against SJSU.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
  • The tech is also analyzing women’s health data to inform clinical approaches.
    Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • If your personal life and your business expenses are tangled together, untangle them now.
    Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Vonn — the third skier to crash in the World Cup race in Crans-Montana — lost control when landing a jump and ended up tangled in the safety nets on the upper portion of the course.
    CBS News, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Bob Rockwell grew up on a ranch in Colorado, enchanted by the Western landscape and cultures.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
  • While Rolls-Royce Cullinans waited to ferry guests to the golden sands of Jardin Tropézina, the hotel's chic beach club, children were far more enchanted by the whimsical little train that chugged them toward the 5,500-square-foot kids’ club.
    Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The restaurant has occupied the space for decades, sits steps from the ski lifts in Vail Village, and is a local favorite for skiers, tourists and locals alike.
    Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Bonhams occupies what’s defined as the mid-range market, mostly offering lots priced between $50,000 to $1 million, while the top three — Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips — court sellers and buyers at the vertiginous top end.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Mostly Mute Monday tells an astronomical story in images, visuals, and no more than 200 words.
    Big Think, Big Think, 2 Feb. 2026
  • Kate later told Mary Berry that William tried to pull out all the stops in the kitchen to impress her early on in their relationship.
    Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Catch up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch%20up. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

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