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

Dubizzle has been bulking up over the past year, acquiring Egypt’s Hatla2ee, which attracts more than 2 million monthly visitors across its website and mobile app, building on its portfolio of auto platforms, including DriveArabia. —Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025

Shredded rotisserie chicken helps bulk up this pasta dish. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025

For everyone who says Sanders can fix this mess in the portal, his upcoming recruiting class is currently lacking, and there is no evidence that the Buffs will be able to bulk up their offensive and defensive lines. —Troy Renck, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025

Martin's moving life story made an impact on Sweeney, who bulked up for the film by gaining about 30 pounds and training three times a day for three months before production. —Edward Segarra, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for bulk up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup