fetch up verb4 •To arrive somewhere, especially unexpectedly.We panicked again for a moment, but the wind switched direction without warning, and we slowly drifted away till we fetched up at Tsukuda island, where the Sumida runs into the bay. — 1995 •To vomit. •(informal, no longer used) To suddenly stop. •(no longer used) To overtake.Says [the hare], I can fetch up the tortoise when I please. — 1692 formsfetched up · fetching up · fetches up