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

This rerelease is well-timed as awards season heats up, with The Odyssey expected to be among the top candidates for an array of Academy Award categories, including best picture. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026

The rallies come as the election campaign to replace Macron as president next May heats up, and parties have been taking political advantage of the movement. — ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026

Thursday’s demonstrations come as the campaign to succeed Macron as president next May heats up, with political leaders seeking to capitalize on the movement. — Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

There is going to be pressure for Democrats to think big in the next two years, especially as the presidential race heats up and lawmakers look ahead to 2029. — Dylan Scott, Vox, 5 Nov. 2026

Rhymes for heat up

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