punched up; punching up; punches up
: to give energy or forcefulness to
jokes added to punch up a speech
Examples of punch-up in a Sentence
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David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Feb. 2026
But comics depend on feedback – punch-ups from fellow comedians and reactions from audiences – iterating jokes in the same way lean startups may innovate new products.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2025
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2026
Hellebores punch up its springy appeal.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punch-up
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Noun
The vibe and verve are like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World meets Repo Man, but the material needed an extra punch-up at script stage.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Feb. 2026
But comics depend on feedback – punch-ups from fellow comedians and reactions from audiences – iterating jokes in the same way lean startups may innovate new products.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
Morgenthaler’s version—amaretto and lemon, punched up with a pour of high-proof bourbon, and smoothed out with an egg white—utterly transforms the drink.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2026
Hellebores punch up its springy appeal.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punch-up
Cite this Entry
“Punch-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punch-up. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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