hot up
verb
hotted up; hotting up; hots up
chiefly British
: to increase in intensity, pace, or excitement
The air raids began to hot up about the beginning of February …—
George Orwell
George Orwell
chiefly British
: to make (something) livelier, speedier, or more intense
"Not finishing the game off caused some tense moments but three points hots things up."—Todd Williams, quoted in The Daily Telegraph (London, England)
Todd Williams, quoted in The Daily Telegraph (London, England)see also hot
Examples of hot up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As the battle for Champions League football hots up, Nottingham Forest have a must-win game against their local rivals Leicester City, having taken just seven points from their last six Premier League games.
—Holly Shand, New York Times, 8 May 2025
Aaronson finishes top team move as Championship race hots up
Leeds United FC
England’s Championship is renowned as one of the best divisions anywhere: hyper-competitive, incredibly well-attended and fuelled by the knowledge that promotion equals Premier League riches.
—Phil Hay, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
As the bug business hots up, there are claims, other than going vegan, that eating insects is the only way to save the planet.
—Philip Lymbery, Time, 27 July 2023
The double-wall vacuum construction keeps your water cold for up to 24 hours and hot up to 12 hours.
—Nicole Charky-Chami, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Aug. 2022
There are some hot up-and-comers in the Q category this year, giving BBQ-lovers all around the metro a better shot at enjoying fall-off-the-bone goodness without making too big a trek.
—Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 25 Feb. 2022
These water bottles will keep your beverages cold up to 24 hours or hot up to 12 hours and are backed by a lifetime warranty.
—Caitlin Chen, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2021
If the pace is hot up front, Enforceable figures to be making a charge at the end.
—Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 28 Aug. 2020
According to a report in The Sun, Bristol City boss Johnson is ready to renew his interest in the 20-year-old as the Championship promotion race hots up.
—SI.com, 13 Oct. 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Holly Shand, New York Times, 8 May 2025
Aaronson finishes top team move as Championship race hots up
Leeds United FC
England’s Championship is renowned as one of the best divisions anywhere: hyper-competitive, incredibly well-attended and fuelled by the knowledge that promotion equals Premier League riches.
—Phil Hay, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
As the bug business hots up, there are claims, other than going vegan, that eating insects is the only way to save the planet.
—Philip Lymbery, Time, 27 July 2023
The double-wall vacuum construction keeps your water cold for up to 24 hours and hot up to 12 hours.
—Nicole Charky-Chami, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Aug. 2022
There are some hot up-and-comers in the Q category this year, giving BBQ-lovers all around the metro a better shot at enjoying fall-off-the-bone goodness without making too big a trek.
—Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 25 Feb. 2022
These water bottles will keep your beverages cold up to 24 hours or hot up to 12 hours and are backed by a lifetime warranty.
—Caitlin Chen, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2021
If the pace is hot up front, Enforceable figures to be making a charge at the end.
—Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 28 Aug. 2020
According to a report in The Sun, Bristol City boss Johnson is ready to renew his interest in the 20-year-old as the Championship promotion race hots up.
—SI.com, 13 Oct. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Hot up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20up. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share