make up for lost time

Meaning

This expression means to work faster, harder, or put in extra effort to compensate for a delay, a late start, or wasted time. It is frequently used in project management when deadlines are tight due to unexpected setbacks.

Examples

• After the shipping delay, we had to work through the weekend to make up for lost time.

  After the shipping delay, we had to work through the weekend to make up for lost time.

• The team is pulling extra hours to make up for lost time caused by the system crash.

  The team is pulling extra hours to make up for lost time caused by the system crash.

• Now that the budget is approved, we need to make up for lost time and start hiring.

  Now that the budget is approved, we need to make up for lost time and start hiring.

• We missed the first quarter targets, so we must make up for lost time in the second quarter.

  We missed the first quarter targets, so we must make up for lost time in the second quarter.

• To make up for lost time, the developers streamlined the testing phase.

  To make up for lost time, the developers streamlined the testing phase.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We must make up lost time by working faster.

  ✓ We must make up for lost time by working faster.

  The preposition 'for' is essential in this idiom; the correct structure is always 'make up for [something]' when compensating for a loss.

• ✗ We need to do up for lost time.

  ✓ We need to make up for lost time.

  'Do up' means to fasten or redecorate. Only 'make up for' translates to compensating or catching up.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The supply chain issues are resolved, so now we have to ___.

  💡 Compensate for the schedule delays.

  Show answer

  make up for lost time

• We started the presentation late, but the speaker managed to ___ by skipping the intro.

  💡 Recover the wasted minutes.

  Show answer

  make up for lost time