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
Recent Examples on the Web
Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2023
When Reaves hit Gustav Lindström later in the game, Ben Chiarot responded by dropping the gloves for a brief punch-up.
—Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2023
National Review, 1 Nov. 2023
Chili crisp punches up mac ’n’ cheese, and more chiles season candied bacon for green beans.
—Betty Hallock, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
The algorithms in our smartphones brighten eyes and teeth, smooth skin, punch up a sunset and artfully blur backgrounds.
—Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2023
Marvel didn’t just recast a side character or have someone punch up a script, no.
—Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 13 Oct. 2023
And then Parts 1 and 2 are about a guy looking at the establishment and punching up to try and succeed and going against a villain from the establishment.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Oct. 2023
Fragrant cedar garlands frame the living room's stunning architecture punching up this neutral living room with traditional green of the holidays.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2023
It’s got all of my favorite bagel-and-lox flavors, with goat cheese subbing in for the cream cheese, and a lemony dressing punched up with capers and black pepper.
—G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023
And as frustrated fans continue to face store shelves missing the Huy Fong name, third-party resellers are punching up prices.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 14 July 2023
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Noun
Songs like her new single, the LP’s title track, which came together in a late-night punch-up session with Alexander 23, showcase the album’s unflinching emotional honesty.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2023
When Reaves hit Gustav Lindström later in the game, Ben Chiarot responded by dropping the gloves for a brief punch-up.
—Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2023
Verb
She, too, will be pressed to punch up instead of down.
—National Review, 1 Nov. 2023
Chili crisp punches up mac ’n’ cheese, and more chiles season candied bacon for green beans.
—Betty Hallock, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
The algorithms in our smartphones brighten eyes and teeth, smooth skin, punch up a sunset and artfully blur backgrounds.
—Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2023
Marvel didn’t just recast a side character or have someone punch up a script, no.
—Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 13 Oct. 2023
And then Parts 1 and 2 are about a guy looking at the establishment and punching up to try and succeed and going against a villain from the establishment.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Oct. 2023
Fragrant cedar garlands frame the living room's stunning architecture punching up this neutral living room with traditional green of the holidays.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2023
It’s got all of my favorite bagel-and-lox flavors, with goat cheese subbing in for the cream cheese, and a lemony dressing punched up with capers and black pepper.
—G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023
And as frustrated fans continue to face store shelves missing the Huy Fong name, third-party resellers are punching up prices.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 14 July 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'punch-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near punch-up
Cite this Entry
“Punch-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punch-up. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
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