run-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈrən-ˌəp 

1

: the act of running up something

2

: a usually sudden increase in volume or price

3

: a period immediately preceding an action or event

run up

2 of 2

verb

ran up; run up; running up; runs up

intransitive verb

: to grow rapidly : shoot up

transitive verb

1

: bid up

2

: to stitch together quickly

3

: to erect hastily

4

: to achieve by accumulating

ran up a big lead

Examples of run-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The situation is reminiscent of the 1930s run-up to World War II, when Germany attacked military and civilian targets in order to seize control over neighboring territories. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2026

The flood of geopolitical headlines to start 2026 has brightened the outlook for gold and silver, even after last year’s massive run-up for all precious metals. —Sarah Min, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026

Verb

The source said the suspect then got out of the car, ran up to the sergeant’s vehicle and opened fire, wounding the sergeant. —Jason Green, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026

The prospect of a heavily privatized or semi-autonomous zone, especially one oriented toward wealthy foreign investors, runs up against longstanding concerns about indigenous rights, democratic accountability, and sustainable development. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 19 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for run-up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

run up

verb

: to cause to pile up : accumulate

ran up a big telephone bill