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
So many of my current favorite shoe trends—including boat shoes and flat, strappy sandals—are in the mix and ready to punch up your next outfit. Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 30 June 2025 The Nuggets played the underdog card as if Michael Malone, a terrier of a man who loved punching up, had never left. Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 June 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Punch-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punch-up. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

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