warm-up

1 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly warmup
1
: the act or an instance of warming up
also : a preparatory activity or procedure
2
: a suit for exercise or casual wear consisting of a jacket or sweatshirt and pants
often used in plural

called also warm-up suit

warm up

2 of 2

verb

warmed up; warming up; warms up

intransitive verb

: to engage in exercise or practice especially before entering a game or contest
broadly : to get ready

Examples of warm-up in a Sentence

Noun the couple's initial exchange of insults proved to be only a warm-up for their booze-fueled fight later that night
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Friday brings a slight warm-up to 67 degrees, leading into a sunny Saturday with a high near 73. Skylar Heisey, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024 However, another big warm-up is on the way next week with more temperature swings expected through the first week of November for the eastern third of the nation. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
Inside the arena, local politicians – some famous, some not – warmed up the crowd by extolling the virtues of Trump and the Republicans. David Jackson, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024 And for extra cozy points, warm up around the fire pit or take a dip in the hot tub. Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for warm-up 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of warm-up was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near warm-up

Cite this Entry

“Warm-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warm-up. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

warm-up

noun
ˈwȯr-ˌməp
1
: the act or an instance of warming up
2
: a practice or set of exercises done before a game, contest, or workout

Medical Definition

warm-up

1 of 2 noun
: the act or an instance of warming up
also : a procedure (as a set of exercises) used in warming up

warm up

2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to engage in preliminary exercise (as to stretch the muscles)
important to warm up properly before running

More from Merriam-Webster on warm-up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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