level up

verb

leveled up or levelled up; leveling up or levelling up; levels up

transitive + intransitive

: to advance or improve (oneself, someone else, or something) in or as if in a game

Collect cards and magic potions, then level up your favourite dragons to increase their abilities.

—Animation Xpress

Staying competitive comes down to many factors, but one that's often overlooked, in my opinion, is the ongoing need to level up your marketing team.

—Sujan Patel

That [Kevin] Reilly has leveled up the brands of both networks is clear in their programming selections.

—Broadcasting and Cable

We provide nurses with the tools they need to level up their careers and their profession …

—News & Record (Greensboro, North Carolina)

Leveling up and finding new weapons, armor, or items give you plenty of incentive to keep slashing and button mashing away.

—Dan Hsu

Companies coax helpers to participate by offering points for useful answers, connecting total points to specific achievement levels, and encouraging users to level up, for even greater prestige.

—Paul McFedries

Examples of level up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In honor of Catherine Laga’aia’s adaptation, HeyDude’s rollout also levels up its espadrille with limited-edition branding on each tongue (because sometimes strengths lie beneath the surface). — Sophie Dunne, Footwear News, 23 July 2026

The human tongues were immediately loosened by AI’s boldness and began correcting, nuancing, and leveling up the detail. — Literary Hub, 22 July 2026

The 50/70 intermediate division is the next level up from the traditional Little League World Series that is played each year in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for players 12 and under. — Cal Phillips july 17, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2026

Here are a few smart moves to add to your arsenal and level up your daily dishes. — Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 16 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

2003, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for level up

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