catching up

verb

present participle of catch up
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

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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

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 catching up Open models offer another option, and their capabilities are catching up. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 24 Sep. 2026 As Sean will lay out below, there is a fundamental story here that is catching up to what the chart has been saying for months. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026 Shoppers have to buy the correct refill for their case, and mainstream availability has been catching up. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026 My room had a compact seating nook (perfect for catching up on work), along with a private balcony overlooking the Plaza. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026 Interviewing Danny DeVito is like catching up with your grandpa — if your grandpa was one of the most beloved and decorated actors of the last 50 years. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026 Nesta has defended the staffing budget as a matter of catching up on the city’s needs after leaving positions vacant for too long and shifting those responsibilities to existing employees. — Brian Bell, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026 The data appear to show Miller’s troubles catching up to him. — Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2026 What has changed is that the rest of the American market is finally catching up. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catching up
  1. trapping
  2. fascinating
  3. intriguing
  4. informing
  5. tangling
  6. enchanting
  7. occupying
  8. telling
Verb
  • Many were built during a prison boom that started in the 1970s and were constructed with heat-trapping materials like concrete and steel.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Heavy rain has already flooded some roads in southern New Mexico, trapping drivers in cars until the waters receded.
    — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of trapping
Verb
  • Wilentz, author of the 2010 book Dylan in America, wrote Volume 18‘s detailed, often fascinating 125-page liner notes that provides historical context for the expansive eight-CD set.
    — Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Once on the ground visitors can enjoy Greenland’s rugged coastal landscapes, fascinating indigenous Inuit culture, and the opportunity to experience the country at its primordial best.
    — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2025
Definition of fascinating
Verb
  • The female forward is in front of the camera, behind the camera, really getting women, intriguing them to come to the service and watch.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The first four episodes made available for review likewise have tiny sparks of interest, from some witty dialogue to genuine plot momentum to intriguing new characters popping up.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 21 June 2026
Definition of intriguing
Verb
  • Last Wednesday, the city sent letters to the Metro Little League and the academy informing them that their access to the athletic fields was revoked.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Upon stepping at the brand’s showroom here, one could be met with an explosion of tangerine hues informing unfussy tops, tunics and cotton dresses cut in essential shapes and infused with vitaminic energy.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of informing
Verb
  • There are also the journalists, the athletes, and the kids who spend sunny days doing contact improv, which was invented at Oberlin, tangling their limbs in the grass outside the library.
    — Jesse Dougherty, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Tie Loose Strings Tie sashes and strings to prevent tangling.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of tangling
Verb
  • Even the Owens family’s enchanting New England home, which the internet has spent nearly three decades foaming at the mouth over, is barely seen, as much of the film takes place overseas.
    — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Practical Magic 2 has Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman enchanting a new generation of fans, but not everyone from the original cast returned for the sequel.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of enchanting
Verb
  • Work to address the track-circuit issue — in which the signal system erroneously reports a train occupying a section of track — was underway.
    — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026
  • After occupying fashion and media conversations since its release on Monday, the inaugural men’s style issue of New York Magazine was toasted properly on Tuesday evening with a celebratory dinner.
    — Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of occupying
Verb
  • The Salem witch trials of 1692 carved out an enduring and powerful niche in American history for this little town, and this intimate, kitschy museum does an excellent job telling the story.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The discovery is the latest instance of CDE leadership telling employees bedbugs are not in the building, only for more to be discovered at a later date and igniting doubt among CDE’s workforce on whether treatment is effective.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of telling

Browse Nearby Words

catching on (to)
catching up
catching up (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Catching up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catching%20up. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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