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
warmed up; warming up; warms up
: 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
Dennis Lin, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The Americans own a 488-minute scoreless streak in Jersey, dating back to a World Cup warm-up match, a 2-1 triumph over Turkey on June 1, 2014.
—Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
The Voice Season 28 is almost here, but before a new slate of hopeful contestants tries their luck on the singing competition series, the show’s coaches are getting the stage warmed up for them.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warm-up
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Noun
Another lineup fixture, infielder Luis Arraez, also sat after being struck by an errant warm-up throw late in Saturday’s win against the Rockies.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The Americans own a 488-minute scoreless streak in Jersey, dating back to a World Cup warm-up match, a 2-1 triumph over Turkey on June 1, 2014.
—Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders warms up prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on September 11, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
The Voice Season 28 is almost here, but before a new slate of hopeful contestants tries their luck on the singing competition series, the show’s coaches are getting the stage warmed up for them.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warm-up
Cite this Entry
“Warm-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warm-up. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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