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

Men's sweatshirts, pullovers and zip-ups A soft sweatshirt, pullover or zip-up is essential for layering a sporty-casual look, and these picks from Harley-Davidson, Banana Republic and more are must-haves for anyone looking to bulk up their cozy basics. —Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026

The goal of scarfing down boy kibble is bulking up post-workout, as well as making meal prep as easy as possible. —Melissa Willets, Parents, 10 Mar. 2026

An easy way to bulk up the recipe is to serve the wraps with a side of rice, but to keep things easy, turn to frozen or microwavable varieties. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026

But before take off, the birds have to bulk up, through a hefty diet of corn, beans and wheat, Weegman said. —Ayana Archie, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026

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