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

Unlike cast iron, though, carbon steel is relatively lightweight and heats up quickly. —Jesse Raub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Dec. 2025

While most pairs heated up in a matter of minutes, the Rtdeps took 20 to 30 minutes to fully heat. —Hillary Maglin, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 2025

As James notes, if Gyokeres’ struggles continue, Arteta will be left with little choice but to drop him in favour of Jesus, Havertz or Merino — especially as the title race between themselves and Manchester City heats up. —James McNicholas, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025

Oura’s competition is heating up. —Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for heat up

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