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make up ground

[/meɪk ʌp ɡraʊnd/]
verb phrase
recuperar terreno; ganhar terreno
1. To advance or progress toward a goal, especially to close a gap between oneself and a competitor or objective
The runner in second place is starting to make up ground on the leader.
O corredor em segundo lugar está começando a ganhar terreno sobre o líder.
2. To recover or compensate for lost time, distance, or progress
After the delay, the project team worked overtime to make up ground.
Após o atraso, a equipe do projeto trabalhou horas extras para recuperar o tempo perdido.
3. To improve one's position or status relative to competitors or expectations
The company is making up ground in the competitive market.
A empresa está ganhando espaço no mercado competitivo.
NYC Slang
catch up; get back in the game
Synonyms
catch upclose the gapgain groundadvanceprogress
Antonyms
lose groundfall behindslip back

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ganhar terreno; recuperar terreno
Most common usage in Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
ganhar terreno
Preferred in informal speech
São Paulo
recuperar posição; ganhar espaço
Common in business contexts
Portugal
ganhar terreno; recuperar o atraso
Standard usage in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

close the gap
bridge the gap
make headway
recover lost time
come from behind
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