pump up

verb

pumped up; pumping up; pumps up
Synonyms of pump upnext

transitive verb

1
a
: to fill with enthusiasm or excitement
b
: to fill with or as if with air : inflate
2

Examples of pump up in a Sentence

the crowd was pumped up by the band's rocking performance that pop diva is trying to pump up album sales with an extended publicity tour
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who pushed to have the state’s film and TV tax credit program pumped up to $750 million last year, to kick start production and industry employment, has not yet spoken out on today’s big Tinseltown shifts. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026 Jones, 28, undoubtedly pumped up his stock the past year. Cam Inman, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026 So our immune system may have learned to perceive isolation as a physical threat and, in turn, pump up inflammation. Erica Sloan, SELF, 19 Feb. 2026 After Zibanejad scored, Sullivan and Tkachuk tried to pump up the bench. Michael Russo, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pump up

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pump up was in 1791

Cite this Entry

“Pump up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pump%20up. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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