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
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.
At the time, Spotify was spending heavily to bulk up its podcast content and technology capabilities, and the company also entered into exclusive deals with several top podcasters. Todd Spangler, Variety, 5 June 2025 In Europe, nations scramble to bulk up on arms in hopes of defending Ukraine, or perhaps themselves. Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 Loveland split his time between the slot and inline during his time at Michigan but could bulk up to become a more impactful blocker. Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2025 Her father soon bulked up the curriculum with literature, mythology, music, philosophy, history, French, Italian, and Greek. James Marcus, New Yorker, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for bulk up

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bulk up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bulk%20up. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!