step-up

noun

ˈstep-ˌəp 

variants or step up

plural step-ups or step ups

: an increase or advance (as in size or amount) and especially one that is gradual or incremental

Lower inflation will minimize cost-of-living step-ups for Social Security recipients …

—Arthur M. Louis

This model will give them the quality step-up they want at a decent price …

—Len Feldman

"… We expect a gradual step up in sales each quarter as 2021 progresses, followed by an extended period of growth starting in 2022."

—Nick Stanage

Synonyms of step-up

• increase
• boost
• gain
• addition

Examples of step-up in a Sentence

there's been a step-up in productivity since regular breaks were offered

Recent Examples on the Web

The federal estate tax was effectively repealed for those who died in 2010 as a result of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, although executors could elect to apply the estate tax rules to take advantage of the step-up in basis which would have otherwise been lost. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026

Thanks to the step-up in basis tax provision, any gain in the value of their assets during their lifetime is also erased upon their death, avoiding any capital gains tax. —Robert Frank, CNBC, 20 May 2026

These jogger-like linen pants are a chic step-up from your average sweats. —Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026

This updated 1990 ranch near Lake Norman has a step-up barroom just off the vaulted living room, with an eight-door cabinet and beverage fridge. —The Week Us, TheWeek, 26 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for step-up

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

Kids Definition

step up

verb

1

: to increase the voltage of (a current) using a transformer

2

: to increase or advance

step up production

3

a

: to come forward

stepped up to accept responsibility

b

: to succeed in meeting a challenge (as by greater effort or better performance)

step-up

ˈstep-ˌəp

adjective