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
With awards season heating up, BAFTA has thrown in its two cents with strong showings for One Battle After Another, Hamnet and Sinners on its 2026 Film Awards longlists.
—
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
This is your textbook plea to the DJ to run something that will heat up your romantic prospects, a sunny pop-funk hybrid chronologically situating itself around 1970-something.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Of the many types of basil, the classic Italian 'Treviso' variety stands out for resisting bitterness, staying tender longer, and being slow to flower even as summer heats up.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Jan. 2026
As campaigns for Georgia’s statewide offices heat up, the AJC’s David Wickert gives an overview of what the law says about how politicians can and cannot raise money.
—Adam Beam, AJC.com, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heat up
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
This is your textbook plea to the DJ to run something that will heat up your romantic prospects, a sunny pop-funk hybrid chronologically situating itself around 1970-something.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Of the many types of basil, the classic Italian 'Treviso' variety stands out for resisting bitterness, staying tender longer, and being slow to flower even as summer heats up.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Jan. 2026
As campaigns for Georgia’s statewide offices heat up, the AJC’s David Wickert gives an overview of what the law says about how politicians can and cannot raise money.
—Adam Beam, AJC.com, 8 Jan. 2026
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 11 Jan. 2026.
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