punch-up

1 of 2

noun

chiefly British

punch up

2 of 2

verb

punched up; punching up; punches up

transitive verb

: to give energy or forcefulness to
jokes added to punch up a speech

Examples of punch-up in a Sentence

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.
Noun
Often, when shows do crossovers, the writers on one will do punch-up for their characters on the other. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Jan. 2025 Toward the end there’s a punch-up, with several players involved. David Szalay, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2024
Verb
The sushi served at Kase is unfussy and sometimes spare, punched up with ingredients meant not to obscure the quality of the seafood. Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 Meet the boutique law firm punching up at Trump Gupta Wessler has just 11 lawyers and four partners, but that hasn’t stopped the boutique law firm from taking on the Trump administration. Ella Lee, The Hill, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for punch-up

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1958, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of punch-up was in 1958

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Cite this Entry

“Punch-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punch-up. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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