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

The event took place in Mexico City and occurred as ICE tensions were heating up in Los Angeles. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026

This biological bonding process creates natural mineral compounds, transforming bulky landfill waste into high-performance insulation capable of withstanding extreme heat up to 1,000°C (1,832°F). —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026

The rumors will heat up again during the season, as the Tigers face the decision to trade the best pitcher on the planet or risk losing him for simply an extra draft pick. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 2026

In operation, the actuator compresses and holds the Ni-Ti tubes, causing the material to heat up. —IEEE Spectrum, 5 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for heat up

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