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
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Recent Examples of catching up
Even later in their careers, student loan holders aren't catching up.
—
Annie Nova, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
This distinction is important, and the market is still in the process of catching up.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
But the compensation models are still catching up.
—John Acunto, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
The federal government is gradually catching up on economic reports that were postponed by the shutdown.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
Sports as a kid catching up with me.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
Uber will have some catching up to do in San Francisco, the city where it’s based.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
Democratic New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill is narrowly in the lead in the New Jersey gubernatorial race but her Republican rival Jack Ciattarelli is catching up, according to a poll.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 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
Annie Nova, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
This distinction is important, and the market is still in the process of catching up.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
But the compensation models are still catching up.
—John Acunto, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
The federal government is gradually catching up on economic reports that were postponed by the shutdown.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
Sports as a kid catching up with me.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
Uber will have some catching up to do in San Francisco, the city where it’s based.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
Democratic New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill is narrowly in the lead in the New Jersey gubernatorial race but her Republican rival Jack Ciattarelli is catching up, according to a poll.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catching up
Verb
-
On Thursday afternoon, the elderly driver first hit a bicyclist, then continued for about a block before crashing her 2023 Mercedes Benz C class into the bakery section of the grocery store, trapping multiple people beneath her car, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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The woman driving a Toyota Prius hit the bicyclist shortly after noon and then continued for another block before swerving into the bakery section of a 99 Ranch Market and then coming to a stop, trapping several people underneath the vehicle, police and fire officials said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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
Verb
-
His first competition was an aerials event, which his mother enrolled him in without informing him, according to Team USA.—
Aliza Chasan,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Back in October, Schemmel received a vanilla, 3-minute phone call from his boss at KOA Radio informing him he’d been laid off as part of iHeartMedia’s massive job cuts around the country.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Lightweight fabrics tumble more evenly, reducing the chance of tangling.—
Anyssa Roberts,
The Spruce,
5 Feb. 2026
-
This will help prevent tangling and stretching during the wash cycle.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tucked at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Santa Fe’s remarkable high desert landscapes and enchanting golden light feel almost otherworldly.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Jan. 2026
-
At times, partners may have had a special mystique, enchanting you with their powers that may have sucked you in — for the better — or instead, like an addiction.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Our guide to the best upcoming sci-fi movies in 2026 features a blockbuster mix of popular franchises, intriguing one-offs, and one of the greatest directors of all time heading back to alien visitation territory.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
31 Dec. 2025
-
New York has intriguing young outfielders in Jasson Domínguez and Spencer jones, but Bellinger was the team's second best player in the lineup this season.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That feeling of telling someone about an underrated gem or misunderstand masterpiece is something he’s been chasing since the decline of video stores in the early 2000s.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Fedorov, the new defense minister, acknowledges the scale of the problem, telling the Ukrainian parliament some 2 million people are ignoring their call-up papers, while 200,000 others have deserted.—
Andrew Carey,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One of the many unsettling images to emerge from the recent ICE surge in Minneapolis was that of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, in his blue bunny hat, standing in the January cold with the hand of a federal officer gripping his Spider-Man backpack.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Climate experts have warned that the extreme conditions gripping southeastern Australia are a public health emergency driven by the burning of fossil fuels.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catching up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catching%20up. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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