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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The first is light management (trapping more photons), and the second is interface passivation (reducing energy losses).—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Oct. 2025
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Staff tried to bar the doors, Mitchell said, but the water got in, trapping her and others inside.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But after winning just six games the next two seasons, AD Mike Garrett left a message on the coach’s answering machine informing him he was fired.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Stewart opened by informing the audience that there have been six mass shootings in the past 24 hours.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
-
The sides had been tangling over the evidence since March, when the judge held a Frye hearing to determine whether the new type of DNA testing should be admissible.—
Michael Ruiz , Jennifer Johnson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Sep. 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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Your answer to that can also be telling.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Veronica Ewers said nothing, despite all the signs, despite the blood test results staring back at her, telling her the hormones in her body were barely present.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
It’s measured by gripping a handheld dynamometer.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2025
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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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Military occupations spark resistance and alienate even supporters of the occupying regime.—
Time,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
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The eight-story building, with a high-end furniture showroom occupying the ground floor, has fewer than 10 residences, adding to its sense of privacy.—
Mark David,
Robb Report,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When there was labor unrest, the coal town churches tended to side with the companies, advising miners against strikes or agitation.—
The Conversation,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
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The University of Southern California (USC) has issued a warning to faculty and staff holding H‑1B work visas, advising them to postpone international travel until further guidance is available amid the White House immigration crackdown, according to , a student newspaper.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catching up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catching%20up. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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