pick up steam
idiom
1
: to become more popular
The idea began to pick up steam around the turn of the century.
2
informal
: to slowly begin to move ahead in a faster and more effective way
The project is slowly picking up steam.
Examples of pick up steam in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The housing market is expected to pick up steam in the coming weeks as the historically hectic spring buying season kicks into gear.
—
Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2023
Jordan was a teenager as the gay rights movement started to pick up steam.
—Zachary Schermele, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2022
Meanwhile, over in Ann Arbor, Blake Corum’s campaign is starting to pick up steam after his fourth straight 100-yard game.
—Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 17 Oct. 2022
Parallel to the state process, a federal lawsuit filed by state Republican activists in an attempt to bypass the Ohio Supreme Court is starting to pick up steam.
—Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 19 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for pick up steam
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Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2023
Jordan was a teenager as the gay rights movement started to pick up steam.
—Zachary Schermele, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2022
Meanwhile, over in Ann Arbor, Blake Corum’s campaign is starting to pick up steam after his fourth straight 100-yard game.
—Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 17 Oct. 2022
Parallel to the state process, a federal lawsuit filed by state Republican activists in an attempt to bypass the Ohio Supreme Court is starting to pick up steam.
—Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 19 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for pick up steam
Cite this Entry
“Pick up steam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pick%20up%20steam. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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