steam up

verb

steamed up; steaming up; steams up

transitive verb

: to make angry or excited : arouse

intransitive verb

: to become full of or covered by steam

The bathroom mirror steamed up.

Synonyms of steam up

• anger
• infuriate
• enrage
• annoy

Examples of steam up in a Sentence

finding yet another mistaken charge on his hospital bill really steamed him up

Recent Examples on the Web

Since Luca Guadagnino’s spicy sports drama Challengers steamed up screens everywhere, even casual fans have acknowledged that the game stirs up strong feelings. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 30 June 2026

Turn the shower on hot until the bathroom steams up. — Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 18 May 2026

Since cool air can't hold as much moisture as warm air, more of the water will go down the drain instead of steaming up your bathroom mirror. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026

There’s fitness classes, and then there’s fitness classes that go all out to ‘90s hip-hop and bounce music at Crescent Park while ships steam up the Mississippi River. — Outside, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for steam up

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