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

For its part, Florida hoped for a Sinclair victory to pump up its own moribund economy. — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026

As the clock ticked down to kickoff and the team continued warmups, Nabers walked around the field a bit, at one point stepping into the end zone to raise his arms and pump up fans. — Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

The video should get fans pumped up for Monday’s game against the Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026

The remarks underscored the administration's need to pump up the GOP base ahead of the midterm election's final stretch. — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 10 Sep. 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