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warmup

or warm-up

[ wawrm-uhp ]

noun

  1. an act or instance of warming up:

    The spectators came early to watch the players go through their warmups.

    The dancers went through a quick warmup.

  2. the period before a radio or television broadcast when the audience is entertained so that it will be more receptive to the actual program.
  3. Also warm up. the time lapse between turning on the power in an electronic component or device and the time it is operable.
  4. Often warm·ups. any apparel, especially a sweat suit, worn over other clothing for warmth, chiefly in sports or during preliminary exercise.


verb phrase

  1. to prepare for a game, sports contest, dance, etc., by moderate exercise or practice beforehand.
  2. to entertain (an audience) prior to a broadcast to increase receptiveness.
  3. to increase in excitement, intensity, violence, etc.:

    The racial situation was warming up.

  4. to become friendlier or more receptive:

    No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't warm up to that proposal.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of warmup1

First recorded in 1840–50; warm ( def ) (in the verb sense “to make warm, heat”) + up ( def ) (adverb used as a function word); the noun is derived from the verb phrase

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Example Sentences

So it was interesting to see how I’m going to feel through the morning skate, from warmup before the game and in the game overall.

Rather than hustling up and down the court like usual late in the game, the all-star guard took in the final minutes of the victory from in front of the Wizards’ bench at Capital One Arena, his warmup shirt on and his night all wrapped up.

As soon as you start the warmup, the bike feels rock solid—after all, it’s built for studios and needs to hold up to multiple sweat sessions per day.

You don’t want to leap into anything your body’s not prepared for, though, even if it’s a warmup.

It’s always a good idea to do a quick warmup, especially if you’re coming right out of a desk chair.

The first concert had been headlined by Thin Lizzy, with a then-little-known band named U2 as the warmup act.

Eastwood, who was supposed to be the warmup act for Marco Rubio introducing Romney, wound up with marquee billing.

“The vice president and I are the warmup acts today,” the president joked.

Apparently that topless shot in Vanity Fair a couple years ago was just a warmup.

This was the warmup for the original Compassionate Conservative—the one who campaigned as a different kind of Republican.

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