pump up

verb

pumped up; pumping up; pumps up

transitive verb

1

a

: to fill with enthusiasm or excitement

b

: to fill with or as if with air : inflate

2

: increase sense 1

Synonyms of pump up

• thrill
• excite
• turn on
• electrify

Examples of pump up in a Sentence

the crowd was pumped up by the band's rocking performance

that pop diva is trying to pump up album sales with an extended publicity tour

Recent Examples on the Web

By Thursday, the Eastern Pacific trough that helped pump up the moisture earlier in the week will arrive, bringing a weak cold front and kicking off a late-week cooling trend. — Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 13 July 2026

The company started its program in 2023 and has already pumped up that payout by another 57%. — Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

Another holiday weekend is approaching rapidly, and that means retailers are taking the opportunity to pump up the sales. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 30 June 2026

It’s designed to raise money, pump up the party’s base, and showcase its slate of candidates (Democrats will hold a similar event in Orlando in July). — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for pump up

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