on the up

phrase

chiefly British

: moving toward an improved or better state

After a slow period, sales are on the up.

Examples of on the up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Secrets is on the up escalator to the main stage as Truss passes by on the down escalator. — Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026

Another side on the up are Wolves, though their good run of recent form will probably be too little, too late. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026

Even if the previous room occupants have been on the up and up, time and neglect can lead to unhygienic and potentially unsafe situations. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 22 Feb. 2026

Were his efforts strictly on the up and up? — Dan Piepenbring, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for on the up

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