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
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 July 2025
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
Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 12 July 2025
Sides nod to barbecue culture but come punched up with Asian flavors.
—Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch-up
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Noun
That said, the negative reputation surrounding the last lines in Jones’ thorny adaptation — a punch-up from Ellison’s original text that’s meaner and more sexist, no doubt — seems outsized.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 July 2025
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
Verb
Birkenstock walking sandals, On running shoes, viral Frye boots, Adidas sneakers—so many of my current favorite shoe trends are in the mix and ready to punch up your next outfit.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 12 July 2025
Sides nod to barbecue culture but come punched up with Asian flavors.
—Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
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 3 Aug. 2025.
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