How to Use catch-up in a Sentence

catch-up

1 of 2 adjective
  • Last night was a return to normalcy for SNL, and a game of catch-up.
    Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 12 Nov. 2023
  • Thompson returned an on-side kick 7 yards for a score as the Rattlers tried to play catch-up.
    Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2023
  • Practice was coming to a close, but not before a water break and catch-up with friends.
    Karina Elwood, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2023
  • There could be an element of catch-up involved as well.
    Chris Morris, Fortune, 24 July 2023
  • Adding to the complexity of the math catch-up challenge is debate over how the subject should be taught.
    Ariel Gilreath, al, 29 Aug. 2023
  • With the poor shooting first half — only four field goals made —putting them in catch-up mode, the Eagles’ valiant rally feel short.
    Glenn Graham, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2024
  • Ryan Reynolds and his brother Terry had an unplanned catch-up.
    Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 25 Oct. 2023
  • All said, the catch-up payments stand to be a huge boon to gig workers and delivery drivers throughout the state.
    Brian Merchant, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2023
  • The time off can be used for academic catch-up or enrichment.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2023
  • What was supposed to be a quick catch-up turned into a delightful two-hour reunion.
    Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 6 Mar. 2024
  • Vanderbilt used the first-half momentum to extend its second-half lead by forcing the Tigers to play a game of catch-up.
    Jaden Lewis, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2024
  • Some of this stuff isn’t from this week, so consider this more of a while-you-were-holidaying catch-up issue.
    David Pierce, The Verge, 7 Jan. 2024
  • Millions of Americans may lose a chance to make a catch-up contribution next year.
    Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 25 July 2023
  • The email volley shifted the weekend vibe from a quick catch-up in pajama pants to something akin to a regular workday.
    Anne Marie Chaker, WSJ, 31 Mar. 2023
  • Store 8 was created when Walmart was scrambling to catch-up with Amazon.
    Andrew Binns, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
  • Drillers have historically walked away from wells at rates greater than the number of wells plugged, leaving the state in a perpetual game of catch-up.
    Lisa Cavazuti, NBC News, 19 Aug. 2023
  • Weeknights are spent at work happy hours and catch-up dinners with friends, while your weekends are booked up with weddings and family trips.
    Addison Aloian, Women's Health, 3 July 2023
  • But that return to learning and that catch-up didn’t happen quickly enough, and the result was a wobbly foundation that led to worsening gaps.
    Alia Wong, USA TODAY, 11 July 2023
  • Jason Bateman and his former Ozark costar Julia Garner having a catch-up.
    Lindsay Kimble, Peoplemag, 8 Jan. 2024
  • As part of that catch-up, hundreds of thousands of units debuted last year, with another million slated for 2024.
    Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024
  • With the tournament in catch-up mode because of hours-long fog delays on Thursday morning, the afternoon half of the draw had no chance of finishing on Friday.
    Tim Price, ajc, 1 Apr. 2023
  • Two weeks ago, the King and Sunak exchanged a phone call, which was more of a catch-up than the formal audience that the monarch and prime minister traditionally hold weekly.
    Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024
  • Two weeks ago, the King and Sunak exchanged a phone call, which was more of a catch-up than the formal audience that the monarch and prime minister traditionally hold weekly.
    Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024
  • That leaves women in the same unenviable position, playing a hapless game of catch-up as the status quo remains.
    Jane Thier, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2023
  • People do that, turning striking into a catch-up at Runyon.
    Anonymous, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 May 2023
  • Find out if your retirement account offers catch-up contributions, and if so, be sure to take full advantage.
    Nina Derwin, Woman's Day, 5 June 2023
  • Wondering how much of a difference that catch-up contribution could make?
    Becca Stanek, The Week, 26 July 2023
  • Even though no one under the age of 40 watches just about anything on broadcast television, and even on catch-up digital platforms, there is still an audience there.
    Vulture, 2 May 2023
  • Unicef is urging countries to implement a catch-up vaccination blitz, an exceptional, one-time program to reach all the children between the ages of 1 and 4 who were missed.
    Stephanie Nolen, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2023
  • In more casual circumstances, like a catch-up between close colleagues, drafting an email during a meeting may be acceptable.
    Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2023
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catch up

2 of 2 verb
  • Overnight, the roots catch up and the leaves get perky again.
    Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022
  • Don’t try to lessen yourself for the world; let the world catch up to you.
    Katarina Avendano, Good Housekeeping, 28 Apr. 2022
  • There's a long way to go for the oil sector to catch up.
    Paul R. La Monica, CNN, 10 May 2022
  • That wasn’t the first or last time Shay was caught up with a big name.
    Liza Esquibias, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
  • That has changed since 2020, as Egypt tried to play catch up.
    New York Times, 25 Mar. 2022
  • There was this path, the train was going, and then the world caught up with us.
    Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2024
  • Don’t be afraid to reach out to them for a call or a cup of coffee to catch up.
    Caitlin Pagán, Verywell Health, 10 Aug. 2023
  • Crafton got caught up in a wreck near Sanchez during the truck race.
    Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 1 Oct. 2023
  • High prices and wages are now trying to catch up to those high prices.
    CBS News, 31 July 2022
  • But everyone seemed too caught up in the snacks and clothes to care.
    Katie Toussaint, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
  • Size has yet to catch up to the Wakefield football team.
    Jake Levin, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Nov. 2022
  • At some point this is going to catch up to the Horned Frogs, but it's been a ton of fun to watch.
    Ralph D. Russo, ajc, 6 Nov. 2022
  • One of the men was caught up in the avalanche and carried around 150 yards before he was buried by the snow.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
  • But Steichen was quick to point out that his team can’t get too caught up in the what-ifs.
    James Boyd, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
  • But states have been slow to catch up with these new drug products.
    Eric Berger, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2022
  • Still, in April, Wallen’s vocal load caught up with him.
    Melinda Newman, Billboard, 6 Dec. 2023
  • In the years that followed, the band’s grandiose designs began to catch up with it.
    Mark Richardson, WSJ, 2 May 2022
  • Already, Rashad had flunked out of eighth grade and gone to summer school to catch up.
    Emily Davies, Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2024
  • Why not use leap day to do a little bed rotting and catch up?
    Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2024
  • James still has a way to catch up with the player many still consider to be the GOAT, though.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 3 June 2022
  • But by 2001, years of fraud began to catch up with Enron.
    Michael Murney, Chron, 7 Oct. 2022
  • Men have had such a head start that women have to work harder just to catch up.
    Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, 18 May 2022
  • Four of his six strikeouts came on fastballs, unable to catch up with it at the top of the strike zone.
    Bobby Nightengale, The Enquirer, 17 Apr. 2022
  • Instead of doing a flashback to catch up, part of the idea was to give you a novel view of her.
    Kate Aurthur, Variety, 24 Mar. 2023
  • Don't get caught up in trying to make movements or strides.
    Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2024
  • The Denver Post caught up with the Nuggets’ rookie on their most recent road trip.
    Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Tony and the painting needed to wait for the technology to catch up with them.
    Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2023
  • Of course the year is still early and there’s plenty of time for bigger rivals to catch up.
    Lauren Thomas, WSJ, 20 Mar. 2023
  • And the region is rapidly running out of time to catch up on the severe deficit in rainfall before the winter rainy season ends.
    Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Still, this is the first Brazilian film to make the Best Picture category, and we’re stoked that a whole new audience of viewers are about to catch up with it now.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catch-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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