ENGLISH
REFERENCE

chase up

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to contact someone to ask for information or a result that they have not given you yet.

phr. v.. to pursue a person or organization to ensure that a pending task is completed or that overdue information is provided.


SIMPLE

I need to chase up that late payment.

CONTEXTUAL

If the supplier doesn't email you by noon, you should chase them up to see what happened.

COMPLEX

The administrative assistant spent the entire afternoon chasing up outstanding invoices from several clients who had exceeded their credit terms.

Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
chase + (object) + up
Usage

commonly used in professional or office contexts regarding tasks, emails, or payments.

Teaching tip

this is a common British English expression; in American English, 'follow up on' is the more frequent equivalent.

Pitfall

I will chase up to him.I will chase him up.the person or thing being chased is the direct object; do not use 'to' after the phrase.

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