# catch up on

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/catch-up-on
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to do something you did not have time to do earlier, or to learn the newest information about something.

For teachers: to perform a task that has been delayed or to acquire information that has been missed during a period of absence or inactivity.

## Examples

- I need to catch up on my sleep this weekend.
- We met for coffee to catch up on all the latest news from our old school friends.
- After returning from his two-week leave, the manager spent several days trying to catch up on a mountain of unanswered correspondence.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I must catch up my emails." but "I must catch up on my emails." — the preposition 'on' is necessary to connect the verb to the specific task being completed.

## Usage notes

- usually followed by a noun representing missed work, news, or a physical need like sleep.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'catch up with' (meeting a person to talk); 'catch up on' focuses on the activity or information being recovered.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.