1
as in trapping
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 fascinating
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 interesting
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 informing
to give information to
catch me up on what's been happening at the office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catching up
When Miami Metro’s Angel Batista (David Zayas) arrives with questions, Dexter realizes his past is catching up to him fast.
—
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
The system is still catching up to the fact that preventative care is in fact necessary now.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 8 Oct. 2025
Anthropic has some catching up to do, however.
—Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
Beijing is catching up, as shown by the sudden rise of AI startup DeepSeek.
—Rebecca A. Fannin, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Speaking of which, the big category shake-up this year is the introduction of best traditional country album, which is alternately being seen as a reaction to Beyoncé’s best country album victory last year or simply catching up to similar subdivisions in R&B and other genres.
—Alan Light, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
When that happens, catching up will be far harder—and far more expensive—than acting now.
—Alex Brueckmann, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
The system is still catching up to the fact that preventative care is in fact necessary now.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 8 Oct. 2025
Anthropic has some catching up to do, however.
—Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
Beijing is catching up, as shown by the sudden rise of AI startup DeepSeek.
—Rebecca A. Fannin, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Speaking of which, the big category shake-up this year is the introduction of best traditional country album, which is alternately being seen as a reaction to Beyoncé’s best country album victory last year or simply catching up to similar subdivisions in R&B and other genres.
—Alan Light, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
When that happens, catching up will be far harder—and far more expensive—than acting now.
—Alex Brueckmann, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catching up
Verb
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However, the concept of an energy source that can run 24/7 and emit no heat-trapping greenhouse gases when generating power is compelling.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
13 Oct. 2025
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In the course of one such quest, Chloe takes off in the getaway carriage—accidentally trapping a duke named Lawrence inside.—
Karen Ostergren,
The Atlantic,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Most people start by informing either their HR department or their direct supervisor.—
Jamie Ducharme,
Health,
17 Oct. 2025
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But Schneider walked to the mound with every past conversation catalogued in his mind, with every lesson informing each step.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But Pynchon is also funny, and the disorientation of his novels gives ways to discovery, and un-tangling, and the characters have goofy names that allude to their archetypal nature.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The parachute relies on a single suspension line rather than many cords, which reduces tangling and speeds up deployment.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Then the picture begins to blur before coming back into clear focus to reveal Novak, still enchanting at 92, standing in a room filled with her paintings.—
Jeremy Helligar,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The shared ambivalence of all of these critics was telling.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Ye Fan for The New York Times Caroline Palmer was telling the story of how she got hired at Vogue in 2001 when a waitress at Tierney’s Tavern plunked two pints of beer and a pile of glistening onion rings on the table between us.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
It’s measured by gripping a handheld dynamometer.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The satire on higher education is rich, yet the larger themes about one’s purpose and ideas are gripping.—
AudioFile Magazine
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Upon boarding, the user found a mother and her roughly 1-year-old infant occupying the middle and window seats.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Videos and images circulating on social media show BASE jumpers leaping from El Capitan, unauthorized campers occupying closed campgrounds, and climbers scaling Half Dome’s cables without permits — all in violation of park regulations.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The transaction was concluded in August, with HSBC Bank and HDFC Bank advising on it, according to the people close to the deal.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
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McGawley adds, advising that the least successful way to pass along money and assets is to wait until children reach an age milepost such as 30 and then hand over a substantial income without any scaffolding.—
Christina Binkley,
Robb Report,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catching up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catching%20up. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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