What does "catch-up" mean?

An act of catching up or attempting to catch up.

What is a synonym for "catch-up"?

Common synonyms include: abduct, acquire, carry off, catch, catch up with, claim.

/ˈkæt͡ʃ.ʌp/ noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
An act of catching up or attempting to catch up. countable, uncountable
"Rapid expansion of Britain's transport network during the 'railway mania' of the 19th century meant that the testing of engineering principles often played catch-up to the ambitions of progress."
2
An amount, a thing, or a receipt or repetition of information that enables one to catch up. countable, uncountable
"Catch-up is also available on the TV set using Digitial^([sic]) TV Services: BT Vision offers BBC, ITV, 40D and Demand 5 via the TV Replay service."

"Britain and the U.S. have been playing catch-up ever since."

Deverbal from catch up.