bulk up

verb

bulked up; bulking up; bulks up

intransitive verb

: to gain weight especially by becoming more muscular

transitive verb

: to cause to bulk up

Examples of bulk up in a Sentence

she bulked up her hair with one hand as she reached for the shears with the other
Recent Examples on the Web Next up: Would all of this chewing start to bulk up my masseter muscle? Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2023 Efron noticeably bulked up to film the movie, with fans noticing his muscly physique in photos taken from the film's set in October 2022. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 15 Nov. 2023 Moreover, the risk of escalation, although real, has been lowered by the Biden administration’s move to bulk up U.S. military deployments in the region. James F. Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2023 In a multi-city plot, saffron was being bulked up with inexpensive gardenia extracts from China. Laura Reiley, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2023 Khan, the current FTC chair, has long criticized Amazon’s e-commerce dominance and bulked up the agency’s ongoing Amazon probe after her 2021 confirmation. Makena Kelly, The Verge, 26 Sep. 2023 Gill bulked up to 215 pounds before camp and moved to safety, splitting time at nickel as well. oregonlive, 24 Aug. 2023 According to Ahlberg, crabs will sometimes ingest water or large amounts of food to bulk up and crack their old shell. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2023 The Lip Bar Big Timer Volumizing Mascara uses synthetic beeswax to bulk up every lash. Liana Schaffner, Allure, 21 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bulk up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of bulk up was in 1979

Dictionary Entries Near bulk up

Cite this Entry

“Bulk up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bulk%20up. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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