CATCHING UP (WITH) Synonyms: 10 Similar and Opposite Words

catching up (with)

verb

present participle of catch up (with)

as in catching

to move fast enough to get even with I walked faster to catch up with my friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

falling short

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catching up (with)

Verb

Wilde came alive on the next scoring drive, catching three passes for 44 yards before Himon scored on a 3-yard catch.

— Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Bats swooped above the crowd’s shoulders, catching mosquitos.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of catching

Verb

Yet too many adults focus on winning and chasing college scholarships, driving up the costs for families and pressure on children to specialize in one sport and succeed.

— Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
One more injury, and the playoff-chasing Jays are in a really bad spot.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of chasing

Verb

What is often maligned as one of the worst tracks for racing due to the lack of overtaking opportunities will now have an extra race, surely opening the door for even more criticism.

— Luke Smith, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Removing suckers early prevents them from overtaking the tree and keeps its shape intact.

— Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 12 Sep. 2026

Definition of overtaking

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.

Browse Nearby Words

catching up

catching up (with)

catch on

See all Nearby Words

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Style

“Catching up (with).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catching%20up%20%28with%29. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of catching up (with)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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