catch up

To catch up is to reach the ones ahead of you — or to trade news with an old friend. Two senses, both about closing a gap.

The physical sense takes with, so catching up with the group means reaching them. The social sense is one of the warmest phrases in modern English, since suggesting a catch-up means a proper conversation about what has happened since. There is a third about work, since catching up on emails means dealing with the backlog. And catching up with somebody can mean their past finally reaching them.