kætʃ ʌp
neutral
beginner
- Base verb:
- catch
- Particle:
- up
- Separable:
- No
What does "catch up" mean?
- To reach the same point as someone ahead
- To learn about recent events or news
- To do work that was missed
Examples
- I need to catch up on my reading.
- Let's meet for coffee and catch up.
- The slower runners are catching up.
- I have a lot of emails to catch up on.
- She's working overtime to catch up with the project.
How to use it
'Catch up with' or 'catch up on' are common patterns. 'Let's catch up' often means to have a social conversation about recent events.
Similar expressions
reach
update
overtake
Opposites
fall behind
lag
Related phrasal verbs
- catch on
To become popular
- catch up with
To reach the same position as someone ahead
- get up
To rise from bed after sleeping
- turn up
To increase the volume, heat, or intensity of something
- give up
To stop trying to do something, often because it is too difficult
- bring up
To mention or introduce a topic in conversation
Use it in a practice answer
Try "catch up" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.