# catch up with

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

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

## Definition

to talk to someone you haven't seen for a while to find out what has happened in their life.

For teachers: to exchange news and information with an acquaintance after a period of separation; can also mean to reach the same level or position as someone ahead.

## Examples

- I need to catch up with my old friends from college.
- We should grab a coffee next week so I can finally catch up with everything you've been doing.
- Despite the time difference, she makes a concerted effort to catch up with her family via video calls every Sunday afternoon.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I caught up my sister yesterday." but "I caught up with my sister yesterday." — the preposition 'with' is required when the person being met is mentioned as an object.

## Usage notes

- usually followed by a person as the object when used in a social sense.
- Teaching tip: distinguish between the social sense (sharing news) and the physical/competitive sense (reaching someone who is ahead); the social sense is extremely common in daily conversation.

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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.