heat up

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

The successful completion of Shanghai Disney had elevated my standing with Bob, and talk of his retirement was heating up again. — Bob Chapek, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026

Amazon has set a goal to be net-zero carbon by 2040, but Hurst said the firm will likely see emissions rise in the near term as the data center buildout heats up. — Jake Angelo, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Next up, the Rebels will travel to Gainesville for a showdown with the Florida Gators, while LSU will host Texas A&M in Baton Rouge with both teams coming off what could turn into consequential losses as the CFP race heats up. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Settlement talks led by Bonta heated up in the past week, sources with knowledge of the negotiations told CNN. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for heat up

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