play catch-up
idiom
: to try to reach the same position, score, etc., as a competitor after one has fallen behind
The team fell behind in the second inning and has had to play catch-up ever since.
The company has been trying to play a difficult game of catch-up ever since its competitor introduced the new product.
Examples of play catch-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike Uber, which charged into cities around the world and forced regulators to play catch-up, Waymo is intentionally launching slowly, with government buy-in.
—
Billy Perrigo, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Washington has to play catch-up, and fast, said Sophie Arts, a fellow at the German Marshall Fund focused on Arctic security.
—Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
But if Broncos head coach Sean Payton, a future Hall of Famer and offensive whiz, burns that blitz early, Maye and the offense must patch a few holes the Texans exploited in order to play catch-up.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Ben Johnson’s greatest frustration Sunday night stemmed from another uneven and at times wobbly offensive effort that forced the Bears to play catch-up most of the game.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
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Billy Perrigo, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Washington has to play catch-up, and fast, said Sophie Arts, a fellow at the German Marshall Fund focused on Arctic security.
—Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
But if Broncos head coach Sean Payton, a future Hall of Famer and offensive whiz, burns that blitz early, Maye and the offense must patch a few holes the Texans exploited in order to play catch-up.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
Ben Johnson’s greatest frustration Sunday night stemmed from another uneven and at times wobbly offensive effort that forced the Bears to play catch-up most of the game.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play catch-up
Cite this Entry
“Play catch-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20catch-up. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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