Meaning Of Catch (someone) Up In English - Cambridge Dictionary

Meaning of catch (someone) up in English

catch (someone) up

phrasal verb with catch verb uk /kætʃ/ us /kætʃ/ caught | caught Add to word list Add to word list B2 to reach someone in front of you by going faster than them: I ran after her and managed to catch up with her.UK Go on to the shops without me, I'll catch you up.

• He's lagging behind a bit - I think we'd better wait for him to catch us up.
• The leader is about 50 yards ahead and I'd be amazed if the others can catch her up.
• There is still plenty of time in this race for our athlete to catch up.
• She only started walking a few minutes ago - you can easily catch her up.
• The others ran down the platform and then waited impatiently for me to catch them up, with all the luggage.

Increasing and decreasing speed of motion

• accelerant
• accelerate
• accelerating
• acceleration
• accelerative
• brake
• catch
• foot
• gun
• isolator
• non-accelerating
• pickup
• put your foot down idiom
• quicken
• retard
• speed (something) up phrasal verb
• spurt
• step on the gas idiom
• throttle (something) back/down phrasal verb
• upshift

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catch up

phrasal verb with catch verb uk /kætʃ/ us /kætʃ/ caught | caught

(REACH SAME STANDARD)

C1 to reach the same quality or standard as someone or something else: Will Western industry ever catch up with Japanese innovations? He was off school for a while and is finding it hard to catch up. Surpassing in quality or number

• compare
• crown
• crush
• do something for an encore idiom
• eclipse
• encore
• outcompete
• outdo
• outflank
• outgo
• outman
• overtake
• push the envelope idiom
• put/leave someone in the shade idiom
• record breaker
• shade
• shame
• steal
• steal a march on someone idiom
• steal someone's thunder idiom

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(DO SOMETHING)

B2 to do something you did not have time to do earlier: She's staying late at the office to catch up with/on some reports. Dealing with things or people

• addressable
• approach
• attend to someone/something phrasal verb
• be all over it idiom
• beard the lion (in his/her den) idiom
• bed
• cut
• go at someone phrasal verb
• grip
• have it out with someone idiom
• hold
• hold on idiom
• I/I've got this idiom
• square
• take (something) over phrasal verb
• tend to someone/something phrasal verb
• to get a handle on something idiom
• to have a handle on something idiom
• turn to someone phrasal verb
• weather

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(DISCUSS)

B2 to learn or discuss the latest news: Let's go for a coffee - I need to catch up on all the gossip. Debate & discussion

• agent provocateur
• agora
• argue
• argue against something
• argue for something
• bargainer
• beard
• controversial
• in consultation with someone
• kick
• kick around phrasal verb
• liaise with someone/something
• negotiating table
• proposer
• thrash something out phrasal verb
• toss something around phrasal verb
• trialogue
• uncontroversially
• undialectical
• weigh

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Informal talking & conversation catch-upnoun   informal uk /ˈkætʃ.ʌp/ us /ˈkætʃ.ʌp/

catch-up noun (WITH NEWS, LEVEL)

[ C ] UK a meeting or conversation in which people discuss what has happened since the last time that they met: I'm seeing my boss for a catch-up next week. Whether it's an after-work dinner, a catch-up with friends or family, or a romantic meal for two, this restaurant has what you need. [ C or U ] mainly US the process of reaching the same standard, stage, or level as someone or something else: These companies have a lot of catch-up to do, and whole product lines to replace with modern technology. This is a much needed catch-up after years of underinvestment.  play catch-up to try to reach the same standard, stage, or level as others after you have fallen behind them: They raced ahead into new markets, leaving other companies to play catch-up. See more

• Are you guys free for a catch-up on Friday?
• We need to get together and have a catch-up soon.
• Much of the big rise in unemployment is merely a catch-up to where it would have been heading all along.
• While there is no doubt that the per capita incomes of the Hispanic community still fall far behind those of whites, several studies show catch-up taking place as the community grows and becomes more diverse.
• The core issue is how to promote "achievement catch-up" for minority and low-income students.

Communicating & keeping in touch

• approach
• backchannel
• bell
• buzz
• call back phrasal verb
• call someone up phrasal verb
• check in phrasal verb
• interaction with someone/something
• interactive
• interactively
• interface
• interface with someone
• interpersonal skills
• lifeline
• ring
• transmittable
• unfollow
• unmute
• unreachable
• unreached

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Increasing and intensifying Being or appearing similar or the same

catch-up noun (TELEVISION)

[ U ] UK →  catch-up TV : You can watch it on catch-up. Broadcasting: television

• aerial
• aspect ratio
• autotune
• best boy
• boob tube
• breakfast television
• ghost image
• goggle-box
• HD
• HDTV
• high def
• plasma screen
• set-top box
• shopping channel
• shout-out
• smart TV
• sweep
• terrestrial
• the small screen phrase
• zap

See more results » catch-upadjective [ before noun ] uk /ˈkætʃ.ʌp/ us /ˈkætʃ.ʌp/ used to describe something that helps you reach the same standard, stage, or level as others, usually after you have missed something such as lessons or opportunities to practise: If there is a shortfall, you may be required to make hefty catch-up payments. catch-up classes/sessions See also catch-up TV

• The catch-up programme was introduced in 2001, when students who were performing below national standards at 11 were given extra lessons.
• We want to encourage former female employees to come back to us and offer them catchup training.
• Districts also have experimented with extended school days and catch-up courses for lagging students.
• There will be regular feedback and catch-up sessions.

Competing and contending (non-sporting)

• as a dare
• be in it to win it idiom
• be one up on someone idiom
• cat
• challenge someone to something/do something
• dare
• give someone/something a run for their money idiom
• go in for something phrasal verb
• hot on someone's/something's heels idiom
• hotly contested
• hyper-competitive
• jungle
• pit
• runners and riders idiom
• scramble for something
• sharp elbows idiom
• sharp-elbowed
• sharpen your elbows idiom
• snap
• toe

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Ways of achieving things (Definition of catch (someone) up from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

catch up | American Dictionary

catch up

phrasal verb with catch verb us /kætʃ, ketʃ/ past tense and past participle caught us/kɔt/

(REACH ANOTHER)

Add to word list Add to word list to reach someone or something by moving faster than the other person or thing: She is really fast, and I couldn’t catch up with her. fig. We’re a young, growing company, and we’re trying to catch up to the competition.

catch up

phrasal verb with catch verb us /kætʃ, ketʃ/ past tense and past participle caught us/kɔt/

(TALK)

to talk with someone you know in order to exchange news or information: By the time coffee came, R.J. and Angelo had caught up a little bit. catch-upnoun [ U ] us /ˈkætʃˌʌp, ˈketʃ-/ the activity of trying to do as well as a competitor or of trying to reach a level of achievement: Having started his fund-raising late, he had to play catch-up if he wanted to get enough money for his political campaign. (Definition of catch (someone) up from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

catch up | Business English

catch up

phrasal verb with catch verb [ T ] uk /kætʃ/ us caught | caught Add to word list Add to word list [ I ] to do something you did not have time to do earlier: catch up on sth We're trying to catch up on paperwork this week.catch up with sth Sam drove straight to the office to catch up with the mountain of work she had waiting for her. I find the backlog of freelance work sometimes builds up, and I always seem to be catching up. [ I or T ] to reach the same level or quality as someone or something else: catch up with sth It was years before demand for office space caught up with supply.catch sb up Their newer competitors are threatening to catch them up. He argued that their pay had fallen behind workers in comparable industries and needed to catch up. [ I ] to find out the most recent information or news: catch up with sth He used the train journey to catch up with the morning news. Let's have a coffee next week and catch up. catch-upnoun [ U ] uk us the process of trying to reach the same standard or quality as someone or something else when they have become more advanced or successful: I'm playing catch-up because of the weeks of training I have missed. (Definition of catch (someone) up from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of catch (someone) up

catch (someone) up Coverage and vaccine efficacy influences the number of cases at equilibrium whereas catch-up programmes do not. From the Cambridge English Corpus Younger children in particular had significant catch-up growth, which was less notable in older children. From the Cambridge English Corpus Patients with vestibular loss require several quick catch-up saccades to maintain fixation (to one side with unilateral lesions and to both sides with bilateral lesions). From the Cambridge English Corpus When a new vaccination schedule with a dose at 11 months with catch-up campaign is introduced, all 11- 14-month-old children are vaccinated. From the Cambridge English Corpus The differential income levels across income-status groups over a variety of characteristics were first widened but began to converge in a catch-up phase of growth. From the Cambridge English Corpus For older children of school age there is no clear evidence of continued catch-up. From the Cambridge English Corpus Developmental catch-up, and deficit, following adoption after severe global early privation. From the Cambridge English Corpus Developmental catch-up, and deficit, following adaptation after severe global early deprivation. From the Cambridge English Corpus Developmental catch-up, and delay, following adoption after severe global early privation. From the Cambridge English Corpus This would indicate that any growth effects in the fetus are transient and are accompanied by a 'catch-up' phase in the post-natal period. From the Cambridge English Corpus The spectacular catch-up found indicated that it was. From the Cambridge English Corpus Longitudinal change in parenting associated with developmental delay and catch-up. From the Cambridge English Corpus The finding on head circumference shows index cases have complete catch-up with their sibs. From the Cambridge English Corpus At 0-75 years of age, the hospital sisters started supervising feeding and the twins showed 'catch-up' growth. From the Cambridge English Corpus Given orphanage children's malnutrition and small size, such overeating probably represents their bodies' natural catch-up mechanism. From the Cambridge English Corpus See all examples of catch (someone) up These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. What is the pronunciation of catch-up?

Translations of catch (someone) up

in Chinese (Traditional) 趕上…, 達到同樣水準, 達到同樣品質（或水準）… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 赶上…, 达到同样水平, 达到同样质量（或水平）… See more in Spanish alcanzar a alguien, alcanzar a los demás, ponerse al mismo nivel (que alguien/algo)… See more in Portuguese recuperar o atraso, acompanhar, alcançar alguém… See more in Marathi in Telugu in Tamil in Hindi in Bengali in Gujarati in Urdu गाठणे, दुसऱ्याच्या गुणवत्ता वा दर्जापर्यंत पोहोचणे, बरोबरी करणे… See more మీ ముందున్న వారిని, వారి కంటె వేగంగా వెళ్లి చేరుకొను, ఎవరైనా లేక మరొకటి అదే నాణ్యత లేక ప్రమాణాన్ని చేరుకోవడం… See more அவர்களை விட வேகமாகச் செல்வதன் மூலம் உங்களுக்கு முன்னால் ஒருவரை அடைய, யாரோ ஒருவர் அல்லது வேறு ஏதாவது அதே தரம் அல்லது தரத்தை அடைய, முன்பு செய்ய உங்களுக்கு நேரம் இல்லாத ஒன்றைச் செய்ய… See more तेज़ दौड़ कर खुद से आगे किसी व्यक्ति तक पहुँचना, किसी दूसरे के समान गुणवत्ता या मानक तक पहुँचना या सीखना, कुछ ऐसा करना जिसे करने के लिए पहले आपके पास वक्त नहीं था… See more পেছন থেকে ধরে ফেলা, সমকক্ষ হওয়া, নাগাল পাওয়া… See more આગળ વધવું કોઈને પકડો, સાથે થવું, બરોબરી કરવી… See more کسی تک پہنچنے کے لئے تیزی سے آگے بڑھنا, اس میعار تک پہنچنا, باقی کام کوپورا کرنا… See more Need a translator?

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catcall catcaller catcalling catch catch (someone) up phrasal verb catch a break idiom catch a cold catch and face idiom catch basin {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}}

More meanings of catch (someone) up

• catch up with someone phrasal verb
• catch someone up on something phrasal verb

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• catch up with someone phrasal verb
• catch someone up on something phrasal verb

See all phrasal verb meanings

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family-style

UK /ˈfæm.əl.iˌstaɪl/ US /ˈfæm.əl.iˌstaɪl/

(of food) brought to the table in large dishes so that people can serve themselves

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• English   
  • Phrasal verb 
    • catch (someone) up
    • catch up (REACH SAME STANDARD)
    • catch up (DO SOMETHING)
    • catch up (DISCUSS)
  • Noun 
    • catch-up (WITH NEWS, LEVEL)
    • play catch-up
    • catch-up (TELEVISION)
  Adjective
• American   
  • Phrasal verb 
    • catch up (REACH ANOTHER)
    • catch up (TALK)
  Noun
• Business   Phrasal verbNoun
• Examples

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