soup up
verb
souped up; souping up; soups up
1
: to increase the power, efficiency, or performance of
soup up an engine
Some cars souped up with customized engines and suspensions may be uninsurable through standard policies.—
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports… the giant particle accelerator at CERN, near Geneva, had been souped up until it could achieve the energy required to test the contention of the electroweak theory that neutral intermediate vector bosons actually exist.—Timothy Ferris
Timothy Ferris2
: to heighten the impact of : to make more exciting or colorful
The ads you've seen are for old cold remedies that have been souped up and given a new marketing spin.—Joe and Teresa Graedon
Joe and Teresa GraedonBut she's doing what Kirstein accuses the dilettantes of doing—souping up her performance with ballet stylization.—Arlene Croce
Arlene CroceExamples of soup up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While the original game was a simple, souped up demolition derby, this adaptation has expanded it into an anarchic trek across America with some Deadpool and Zombieland flourishes from Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.
—Lucy Ford, Time, 19 May 2025
Naturally, Sucker Punch Productions immediately broke ground on a remaster, souping up Tsushima’s incredible landscapes into uncharted tiers of fidelity for the new hardware.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
In another case, a retail client is souping up its merchandising program with help from GenAI tools.
—Haniya Rae, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
That same engine powers the top-end Dark Horse model, but is souped up to 500 hp (368 kW).
—Aaron Turpen, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2024
But his passion for souping up classic cars would also eventually take a professional turn.
—Spencer Elliott, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
Hurricane Milton, like Hurricane Helene before it, is souped up on hot water in the Gulf of Mexico.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2024
Elordi, who was announced as a brand ambassador in May, chose a tomato-colored Andiamo carry-all to soup up his speckled cardi and white basics for the presentation.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2024
Gather ’round this souped up conversation set, which comes with four armchairs, two loveseats, and two coffee tables.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2024
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Lucy Ford, Time, 19 May 2025
Naturally, Sucker Punch Productions immediately broke ground on a remaster, souping up Tsushima’s incredible landscapes into uncharted tiers of fidelity for the new hardware.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
In another case, a retail client is souping up its merchandising program with help from GenAI tools.
—Haniya Rae, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
That same engine powers the top-end Dark Horse model, but is souped up to 500 hp (368 kW).
—Aaron Turpen, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2024
But his passion for souping up classic cars would also eventually take a professional turn.
—Spencer Elliott, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
Hurricane Milton, like Hurricane Helene before it, is souped up on hot water in the Gulf of Mexico.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2024
Elordi, who was announced as a brand ambassador in May, chose a tomato-colored Andiamo carry-all to soup up his speckled cardi and white basics for the presentation.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2024
Gather ’round this souped up conversation set, which comes with four armchairs, two loveseats, and two coffee tables.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Soup up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soup%20up. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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