variants
or less commonly warmup
1
: the act or an instance of warming up
also
: a preparatory activity or procedure
2
: a suit for exercise or casual wear consisting of a jacket or sweatshirt and pants
—often used in plural
called also warm-up suit
warmed up; warming up; warms up
: to engage in exercise or practice especially before entering a game or contest
broadly
: to get ready
Synonyms
Examples of warm-up in a Sentence
Noun
the couple's initial exchange of insults proved to be only a warm-up for their booze-fueled fight later that night
Recent Examples on the Web
Skylar Heisey, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024
However, another big warm-up is on the way next week with more temperature swings expected through the first week of November for the eastern third of the nation.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2024
Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 21 Nov. 2024
The sudden change in manatee population likely occurred because Florida’s waters began to warm up.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for warm-up 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Friday brings a slight warm-up to 67 degrees, leading into a sunny Saturday with a high near 73.
—Skylar Heisey, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024
However, another big warm-up is on the way next week with more temperature swings expected through the first week of November for the eastern third of the nation.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
Gill was stunned by catching such a massive yellowfin tuna, while not having to warm up on smaller ones.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 21 Nov. 2024
The sudden change in manatee population likely occurred because Florida’s waters began to warm up.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for warm-up
Dictionary Entries Near warm-up
Cite this Entry
“Warm-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warm-up. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
warm-up
1 of 2 noun
: the act or an instance of warming up
also
: a procedure (as a set of exercises) used in warming up
warm up
2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to engage in preliminary exercise (as to stretch the muscles)
important to warm up properly before running
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share