pump up

verb

pumped up; pumping up; pumps up
Synonyms of pump upnext

transitive verb

1
a
: to fill with enthusiasm or excitement
b
: to fill with or as if with air : inflate
2

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 In other words, pumping up the stock market was seen as a way to drive consumer spending. George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 Bigger changes to pensions — like a massive borrowing to pump up assets, or trying to change benefits for current or future city employees — were left on the cutting-room floor. A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pump up

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pump up was in 1791

Cite this Entry

“Pump up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pump%20up. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

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