Catch up — Meaning, Definition & Examples

Definition

1. To reach the same level or position as someone or something ahead of you.
2. To exchange news and updates with someone you haven’t seen in a while.
3. To complete work or tasks you’ve fallen behind on.
4. (noun) the act of reaching the same level or reconnecting with someone.

Context Alive

The two old college friends hadn’t spoken in nearly five years, their lives having taken them to different cities with different careers and different priorities. When they finally met at the coffee shop, they spent three hours trying to catch up on everything that had happened since graduation, sharing stories about marriages, babies, job changes, and all the small moments that had shaped who they had become in the years since they last sat together like this.

Meanings

7 meanings

1 To exchange news with someone you haven't seen — VERY COMMON Common ▼

This is one of the friendliest uses of catch up. When you catch up with someone, you spend time talking and sharing what’s been happening in each other’s lives. Maybe you run into an old friend and say “We should catch up sometime!” Or you finally call your grandmother to catch up after weeks of being too busy. It’s about reconnecting, filling in the gaps, and getting current on each other’s news. The phrase feels warm and social — it suggests you care about what’s happening in someone’s life.

Vivid Example

She texted her best friend from high school suggesting they meet for lunch to catch up properly, knowing that their occasional Instagram likes weren’t enough to maintain the deep friendship they had once shared during those long afternoons spent talking about everything and nothing.

2 To reach the same level or position as someone ahead — VERY COMMON Common ▼

In races, competitions, or any situation where someone is ahead, catching up means closing the gap between you and them. A runner who fell behind might sprint to catch up with the leaders. A student who missed classes needs to catch up with classmates. A company falling behind competitors needs to catch up in technology or innovation. It’s about reaching the same point as those who got there before you — eliminating the distance between where you are and where they are.

Vivid Example

After being injured for two months, the athlete trained twice as hard every day to catch up with her teammates, pushing through exhaustion and frustration until she finally matched their fitness level just in time for the championship tournament.

3 To complete work or tasks you've fallen behind on — VERY COMMON Common ▼

Life gets busy, and sometimes work piles up. When you catch up on something, you finally complete tasks you should have done earlier. You might spend the weekend catching up on emails. A student might need to catch up on homework after being sick. You might catch up on sleep after a stressful week. This meaning is all about addressing the backlog — dealing with things that have been waiting for your attention.

Vivid Example

He cancelled all his weekend plans so he could finally catch up on the mountain of paperwork that had been growing on his desk for weeks, ordering takeout and not leaving his home office until every last document was signed and filed.

4 To become informed about something you missed — COMMON Common ▼

When you’ve missed episodes of a show, news events, or any information, you need to catch up. You might binge-watch a series to catch up before the finale. You might read old articles to catch up on a developing story. You might ask colleagues to help you catch up on what happened in a meeting you missed. It’s about acquiring information that others already have so you’re not left behind or confused.

Vivid Example

After returning from her two-week vacation without internet access, she spent her entire first morning back at the office trying to catch up on all the company news she had missed, reading through hundreds of emails and asking coworkers to explain the major developments.

5 When consequences finally affect someone — COMMON Common ▼

This is the darker meaning of catch up. When your past actions, bad habits, or mistakes finally catch up with you, you face the consequences you’ve been avoiding. Years of unhealthy eating might catch up with someone in the form of health problems. A criminal’s crimes might eventually catch up with them. Sleep deprivation will eventually catch up with you. The phrase suggests that you can’t run forever — eventually, what you’ve been escaping will reach you.

Vivid Example

After years of ignoring his doctor’s warnings about stress and overwork, his lifestyle finally caught up with him when he collapsed in the office and woke up in a hospital bed being told he needed to completely change his habits or face serious consequences.

6 A meeting or conversation to reconnect (Noun) — COMMON Common ▼

As a noun, a catch-up (often hyphenated) is the meeting or conversation itself where you exchange news with someone. “Let’s have a catch-up next week.” “I need a catch-up with the team.” It’s informal and friendly, used when scheduling time to reconnect or get updated on what’s been happening. You’ll hear this constantly in both personal and professional contexts.

Vivid Example

The manager scheduled a quick catch-up with each team member at the start of the week, using these short fifteen-minute conversations to understand their progress, address any concerns, and make sure everyone felt supported before diving into new projects.

7 To reach and pass someone while traveling — LESS COMMON Common ▼

In a physical sense, catching up can mean reaching someone who left before you or is traveling ahead of you. If your friend walks faster than you, you might jog to catch up. If someone leaves the party early, you might catch up to them in the parking lot to say goodbye. It’s the literal version of closing the distance between yourself and another person who is ahead of you.

Vivid Example

She realized she had forgotten to give him the car keys, so she ran down the street to catch up with him before he turned the corner, waving frantically and calling his name until he finally heard her and stopped to wait.

Examples from the Street

“We should catch up sometime — it’s been ages!”

We should meet and talk about what’s been happening in our lives — it’s been a long time since we saw each other

“I need to catch up on sleep this weekend.”

I need to get the rest I’ve been missing

“Go ahead — I’ll catch up with you.”

Start walking — I’ll reach you soon

Common Patterns

catch up (with someone) → meet someone and exchange news after time apart

have a catch-up → have a meeting to exchange news (British, noun)

catch up over coffee/drinks → meet socially to talk

it was great catching up → it was nice talking and sharing news

we need to catch up → we should meet soon and talk

catch up with someone → reach the same position or level as someone ahead

catch up to someone → reach someone who is ahead (more American)

try to catch up → attempt to reach the same level

fall behind and have to catch up → get behind and need to reach the same level again

catch up on sleep → get the rest you’ve been missing

catch up on work → complete work you’ve fallen behind on

catch up on the news → find out what’s been happening

catch up on a TV show → watch episodes you’ve missed

Collocations

4 collocations

catch up with someone

reach the same level or meet up

play catch-up

try to reach the level of others who are ahead

catch up on sleep

recover lost rest

catch up on work

complete tasks you've fallen behind on

Example Sentences

12 examples

1

Let’s catch up over coffee next week — I want to hear all your news

Let’s meet for a drink next week — I want to find out what’s been going on in your life.

2

It was so nice catching up with you — we should do this more often

It was lovely meeting and talking with you — we should get together more regularly.

3

I missed two weeks of class, so I have a lot to catch up on

I wasn’t at lessons for a fortnight, so I have loads of work to complete.

4

She started the race slowly but caught up with the leaders by halfway

She began the competition at a slow pace but reached the front runners by the middle point.

5

I need to catch up on sleep — I’ve been working until midnight all week

I need to get the rest I’ve been missing — I’ve been at the office until the early hours every night.

6

Go ahead without me — I’ll catch up in a minute

Start without me — I’ll reach you shortly.

7

I spent the whole weekend catching up on my favourite TV show

I used my entire Saturday and Sunday watching episodes I’d missed.

8

Smaller companies are catching up with the industry giants

Lesser-known businesses are reaching the same level as the big players in the market.

9

Let’s have a quick catch-up before the meeting starts

Let’s briefly share information before the discussion begins.

10

I haven’t read the news for days — I need to catch up on what’s happening

I haven’t looked at current events recently — I need to find out what’s going on.

Learner Examples

★

When students miss classes, I give them extra materials to help them catch up with the rest of the group

When learners are absent from lessons, I provide additional resources so they can reach the same level as their classmates.

★

I always tell my students: if you fall behind, don’t panic — just do a little extra each day to catch up

I constantly advise my learners: if you get behind, don’t worry — just put in some additional effort daily to reach the same point as everyone else.

Phrasal Verbs & Idioms

2 items

Phrasal Verbs

catch up on — do something you missed

I spent Sunday catching up on my favorite show.

Idioms & Expressions

play catch-up — try to reach others' level

We're playing catch-up after falling behind schedule.

Synonyms & Antonyms

6 items

Synonyms

keep up

staying at the same pace

get up to speed

reaching the same level

reach

closing the gap

reconnect

meeting someone after a while

Antonyms

fall behind

losing pace

lag

being slower than others