1
as in to trap
to catch or hold as if in a net
a young idealist who got caught up in the political fanaticism of the times
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fascinate
to hold the attention of as if by a spell
completely caught up in opera ever since he saw La Traviata
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to interest
to hold the attention of
so caught up in the game that she didn't note the passage of time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to inform
to give information to
catch me up on what's been happening at the office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of catch up
Mayor Mamdani launched a new Office of Curb Management in April 2026 to oversee 6,300 miles of streetside lanes, a bureaucratic response to a problem that existed for years before the governance structure caught up.
—
Chase Garbarino, Fortune, 15 May 2026
Subsistence fishing was essentially what I was caught up in during college, and the spring spawn was supposed to be my bountiful harvest.
—John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
Until Ohta catches up with its orders, residents and visitors are encouraged to review the Japanese government’s own bear safety tips.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 May 2026
Videographer Adam Glyn caught up with Cena on Thursday and asked him about the fans’ reaction to his final match.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for catch up
Chase Garbarino, Fortune, 15 May 2026
Subsistence fishing was essentially what I was caught up in during college, and the spring spawn was supposed to be my bountiful harvest.
—John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
Until Ohta catches up with its orders, residents and visitors are encouraged to review the Japanese government’s own bear safety tips.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 May 2026
Videographer Adam Glyn caught up with Cena on Thursday and asked him about the fans’ reaction to his final match.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for catch up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catch up
Verb
-
Although Djena wasn’t literally trapped in the Toures’ home, she was trapped by her circumstances.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Once trapped, the ions are reduced to a ground state through lasers, similar to what freezing them at absolute zero achieves.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The fawn-like icon, star of classics including Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Sabrina, Two for the Road, Charade, Funny Face, and My Fair Lady, continues to fascinate even 33 years after her early death from a rare abdominal cancer.—
Hadley Hall Meares,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
-
The idea of the ouroboros (a snake eating its tail) has always fascinated me.—
Peter Bogdanovich,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Despite speculation, there has been no hard evidence to suggest the Celtics will look to trade Jaylen Brown (who likely would interest the Heat).—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
19 May 2026
-
That agenda should interest Washington.—
Daniel Benaim,
Time,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Instead, inform the bank of your plans now to avoid having your funds get locked into a less profitable account.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
-
We were informed pretty quickly when each issue occurred.—
Tanya Lewis,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
After being approached by Minnesota's Ayo Dosunmu after getting tangled up with McDaniels in the first quarter, Wembanyama would run untouched to the rim for an emphatic windmill dunk.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
Just before the buzzer, Cleveland's Jarrett Allen and Detroit's Ausar Thompson got tangled up and no call was made.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The rookie showman is proving his mettle as part of the Caballero Circus, a five-generation family of performers, by enchanting audiences with his charismatic stage presence and sharp coordination.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
-
Artemis 2 enchanted the world in the beginning of April, when its crew of four astronauts flew a 10-day mission around the moon and back to Earth.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
House members who occupy safe seats have fewer incentives to compromise or work across the aisle.—
Ashley Wu,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Whole Foods opening in Newport Beach Whole Foods is opening a second store in Newport Beach, claiming the spot occupied by a Ralphs grocery store at Westcliff Plaza.—
Samantha Gowen,
Oc Register,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
For one, tech behemoth Microsoft reported better-than-expected quarterly results recently and told investors that capital expenditures for the year will reach $190 billion due to soaring memory costs.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
Two Game 7 victories for Cleveland tells me this team is not going to get rattled.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catch up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catch%20up. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
