heat up
phrasal verb
heated up; heating up; heats up
1
: to become warm or hot
The morning started out cold but it heated up quickly.
2
: to become more active, intense, or angry
Their conversation started to heat up.
Competition between the two companies is heating up.
3
heat (something) up
or heat up (something)
: to cause (something) to become warm or hot
Could you heat up the vegetables, please?
Examples of heat up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That theory heated up after Beyoncé, who performed with Turner and credits her as an artistic influence, recently wore a t-shirt during her Cowboy Carter Tour with Turner’s image.
—
Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 12 July 2025
The sun is shining and Boise weather is heating up.
—Idaho Statesman, 11 July 2025
As summer travel continues to heat up, a new report reveals the cleanest swimming water in Europe.
—Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Additionally, children’s body temperatures heat up three to five times faster than adults.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for heat up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 12 July 2025
The sun is shining and Boise weather is heating up.
—Idaho Statesman, 11 July 2025
As summer travel continues to heat up, a new report reveals the cleanest swimming water in Europe.
—Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Additionally, children’s body temperatures heat up three to five times faster than adults.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for heat up
Cite this Entry
“Heat up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat%20up. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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